Lab notes: It's life, Jim, but not as we know it

Things took a turn for the mythological this week with the creation ofa human-pig hybrid, or chimera. It marks the first time that embryos combining two large, distantly-related species have been produced and is a big step towards being able to generate human hearts, livers and kidneys for transplant. And as if pig-humans (or human-pigs, or ... whatever) weren ’t enough, researchers havemodifiedE coli microbes to carry an expanded genetic code. Apparently this will ultimately allow them to be programmed, but also paves the way for the creation and exploitation of entirely new life forms. Given that human interactions with other species tend togo the way of the Cern weasel, this might not be great for whatever emerges, but still. Yay science. Definitely good news for everyone is the possibility that a radical therapy involving the tranquiliserketamine could treat alcohol addiction by “erasing” drink-related memories. It’s extremely exciting that we’re starting to unpick how drugs interact with the brain. Another study this week, into LSD, has revealedwhy acid trips last so long– adding to our understanding of the brain’s serotonin receptors. Perhaps the only piece of science news this week that didn’t add to our understanding was the furore over the “dangers” of roast potatoes and burnt toast. Time toread some actual facts about acrylamide and ponder our ownreactions to “scientific” pronouncements.Continue reading...

Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - January 27, 2017 Category: Science Authors: Tash Reith-Banks Tags: Science Source Type: news