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Scientists can now modify genes of ticks to help control Lyme disease

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WHAT’S BEING CLAIMED:

  • Scientists now make genome editing available for ticks –  one step closer to addressing the growing problem of tick-borne diseases, including Lyme disease.
  • Tick-borne diseases are a public health concern, especially now that climate change has expanded the habitat for these parasitic insects.
  • This development comes after a successful embryo injection protocol that sidestepped technical challenges in the field.

Scientists develop two new gene-editing methods that could decrease tick-borne diseases, including Lyme disease. This editing tool permits alterations in the tick genome responsible for disease transmission.

“In the United States alone, ticks infect approximately 300,000 people with Lyme disease each year, and if left untreated, the infection can spread to joints, the heart, and the nervous system,” explained Dr. Jason Rasgon, professor of entomology and disease epidemiology, Penn State. “Currently, there is no vaccine, and existing treatments are not always fully effective.”

Tick-borne disease transmission increased as climate change has permitted ticks to inhabit areas that were inhabitable before, the professor said, putting emphasis on the importance of this new tool. “We are in desperate need of new tools to fight ticks and the pathogens they spread,” he stressed.

This research is a collaboration between Penn State, the University of Nevada, and the University of Maryland. 

The editing tool used is called CRISPR-Cas9, a cut-and-paste method but for genes. The Cas9 enzymes are “molecular scissors” that cut DNA at a specific location. This tool deletes or inserts something new where the Cas9 scissors has made some cuts, resulting in changes in gene function.

CRISPR-cas9 is injected into embryos. However, there are technical challenges in using this procedure for tick gene editing.

“For many years, people thought it would be impossible to make a transgenic tick because tick eggs are coated in a hard wax that shattered the delicate glass needles used for injections,” said Rasgon.

Monika Gulia-Nuss, Ph. D., Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nevada, developed a successful embryo injection protocol after dissecting “the wax gland” before egg production. This development enabled editing using CRISPR/Cas9, creating deletions in two different genes.

The team developed a different approach, this time injecting the CRISPR/Cas9 complex into adult female ticks using a different CRISPR technology developed at Penn State. The second gene-editing tool is called ReMOT Control. This tool is used in different insects, including beetles, flies, whiteflies, and mosquitoes. 

Dr. Rasgon identified a small peptide that binds to receptors on the ovaries of most insect species in his previous research. This second research is the first report that this peptide is used for CRISPR-cas9 on this parasitic arachnid. 

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Both embryo injections and ReMOT Control are efficient for genome editing in these parasitic arachnids. The team reported a 14% and 11.7% efficiency rating, respectively, when applied to the ProbB gene.

Rasgon added, “The methods can be used to develop new control methods for diseases, such as Lyme disease, and also to further understand the biology of ticks.”

Source: Good News Network

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5 Comments

5 Comments

  1. 2004done

    June 15, 2022 at 8:28 am

    Soon the DNA of virii will be configurable also, and we won’t be mailing ballots anymore, all will be voting in-person again? Unless somehow a variant appears just before mid-terms and the 2024 election, and its midterms, and the 2028s, and ….

    • Rattlerjake

      June 15, 2022 at 12:56 pm

      “viruses” or “virii”? Wikipedia has a rather large section dedicated to this question. The verdict is: “The English plural of virus is viruses, not viri.” Merriam-Webster agrees, as does TheFreeDictionary. Definitely not “virii” — the only plurals that end in ‘-ii’ are those of words ending in ‘-ius’. “Virii” could only be the plural of ‘virius’, and only under the right circumstances.

      Wiktionary offers the following usage notes: The plural is often believed to be viri or even virii, but neither is correct Latin and both are neologistic folk etymology. The word has no plural in Latin as it is a mass noun, like oxygen or sunlight.–RegDwigнt

  2. william soule

    June 15, 2022 at 11:51 am

    In Michigan I bought a small farm on the river 3 yrs ago. It is tick infested. trying to clear the brush and such I had numerous ticks on my clothes. Resorted to Deet, primarily spraying around pants legs and waist and shirt sleeves. The only defense I could find. Hope your solution works and can be upscaled as soon as possible — if not for me for the Public.

    • Rattlerjake

      June 15, 2022 at 1:10 pm

      Best animal to rid your property of ticks is a opossum!

    • Wilbur

      July 15, 2022 at 6:51 am

      Try Permethrin instead of Deet to ward off the ticks from your clothing.

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Science

Pregnant Teen Says She’s Carrying Evil Spirit’s Baby

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In a Nutshell:

  • A 19-year-old Colombian woman, claiming to have never been with a man, asserts she was impregnated by an ‘evil spirit’, sparking a spirited debate on social media.
  • Following strange dreams and a sense of supernatural presences, along with her missing periods, a visit to the gynecologist confirmed her pregnancy.
  • Despite some skepticism and accusations of her fabricating the story, there are also supporters who believe her claims, citing they’ve heard similar stories before.

When it comes to tales of the unexpected, this one is surely one for the books.

A 19-year-old woman from Colombia, who says she has never been romantically involved with a man, now insists that her current pregnancy is the work of an ‘evil spirit.’

A supernatural Casanova, if you will.

The Colombian teen has been stirring up all kinds of chatter on Latino social media after she boldly told TV Malambo, a local media outlet, that she’s convinced her pregnancy is a supernatural event.

According to her, she began having strange dreams and experienced eerie presences in her room.

Then suddenly, she stopped having her period, leading her mother to rush her to a gynecologist, who declared her pregnant.

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She made the claim inn a statement that almost reads like a novel.

“I have not been with any man, suddenly I stopped menstruating and my mother took me to the health center for a check-up and there I found out that I got pregnant.”

The young woman accepts that her story is difficult to swallow and confesses that she herself is puzzled about her mysterious pregnancy.

However, this hasn’t stopped the internet from erupting into a spirited (pun intended) debate.

Some skeptics suggest she concocted the story to dodge parental wrath, while others back her claim, swearing they’ve heard of similar instances.

One supporter commented, “She is telling the truth, I have heard of other cases like this. The last thing her father or mother should do is kick her out of the family home.”

It should be noted that in Colombia, teen pregnancies are more common than in most countries worldwide.

But this is definitely not your average teen pregnancy story.

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In fact, it’s worth noting that this isn’t the first ‘supernaturally-induced’ pregnancy we’ve heard about.

Just last year, an Indonesian woman claimed she got pregnant after a gust of wind swept through her.

With stories like these, who needs Netflix for entertainment?


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Don’t Try This at Home: YouTuber’s Deadly Jellyfish Soup Stirs the Pot [Video]

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In a Nutshell:

  • Popular Japanese YouTuber ‘homosapi’ stirred up a controversy by cooking and eating a broth made from Portuguese Man-o-Wars, a marine organism known for its deadly sting, in a video for his over one million subscribers.
  • While the YouTuber reported no ill effects and described the taste as similar to scallops, marine experts strongly cautioned against trying to recreate the risky recipe, due to the potential for remaining toxicity and risk of inhaling poisonous fumes during cooking.
  • Despite having a health professional present during the stunt, homosapi’s video has sparked a debate about responsible content creation, and experts are urging the public to avoid attempting to cook or consume dangerous marine creatures like the Man-o-War.

In what might be the next “do not try this at home” viral sensation, popular Japanese YouTuber ‘homosapi’ has stirred the pot, quite literally, with a marine menace: the Portuguese Man-o-War.

To his over one million subscribers, he served up a video of himself cooking and slurping a broth made from these dangerous dwellers of the deep.

Known for their venomous sting capable of immobilizing or even killing its prey, the Portuguese Man-o-War is not your usual soup du jour.

However, homosapi was not deterred, having been inspired by adventurous eaters who allegedly claimed the venomous creature’s broth was as delectable as the finest delicacy.

Seeking not only the thrill of the culinary dare but also the promise of viral views, homosapi and his friends embarked on a beach trip, hunting for washed-up Man-o-Wars.

Once they’d bagged their jelly-like prizes, the YouTuber proceeded to cook them into a wobbly blob.

He added veggies, sauces, and a suspect pinch of MSG before diving in with a daring taste test.

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His verdict?

It’s somewhat scallop-esque, with no apparent ill effects.

While the YouTuber may have taken the phrase “anything for views” quite literally, marine life experts were quick to condemn the stunt.

Warning the public against recreating this risky recipe, they emphasized that while a boiled Man-o-War might lose some of its toxicity, there’s no guarantee that the potent, protein-based poison is completely neutralized.

Shuhei Ikeda, a jellyfish breeder at the Kamo Aquarium, also highlighted the danger of inhaling toxic fumes during the cooking process, which could result in serious allergies and breathing issues.

In an attempt to counterbalance the wild stunt, homosapi revealed that a health professional was on hand throughout the precarious cooking show.

Nonetheless, the video continues to raise eyebrows and spark debates about responsible content creation.

So, folks, let’s stick to more traditional soup ingredients, shall we?

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Leave the Man-o-Wars to the marine experts, not the daredevil YouTubers.


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Archaeologists Unearth Pompeii Victims from 2,000 Years Ago

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In a Nutshell:

  • Archaeologists recently discovered two human skeletons in Pompeii, trapped under a collapsed building during the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. These individuals likely perished in an initial earthquake, offering new insights into the unfolding of this historic disaster.
  • Located in a building known as the “Insula of the Chaste Lovers,” this discovery emphasizes how much more is yet to be unearthed about Pompeii’s tragic end. The skeletons, along with the detailed accounts of Pliny the Younger, contribute to our understanding of the city’s demise and Roman life.
  • As a major archaeological site, Pompeii continues to provide significant scientific value, shedding light on the scale of the disaster that buried the city. Ongoing excavations and advancements in archaeological techniques promise to reveal further aspects of this ancient catastrophe.

Pompeii, the ancient city frozen in time by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, continues to reveal its hidden tales nearly 2000 years later.

Recently, archaeologists made a grim but fascinating discovery of two human skeletons crushed beneath the ruins of a collapsed building, adding a new perspective to the understanding of this historic catastrophe.

The two unfortunate victims are believed to have been trapped during an earthquake that heralded the volcanic eruption.

Their discovery within a building, quaintly known as the “Insula of the Chaste Lovers,” underscores how much remains to be unearthed about this monumental disaster.

“The discovery of the remains of these two Pompeians shows how much there is still to discover about the terrible eruption of AD 79,” said Gennaro Sangiuliano, Italian Minister of Culture, emphasizing the importance of the find.

The skeletal pair was found along the side of a utility room, trapped beneath the debris of a fallen wall.

The dramatic pose of one man, his arm raised against the rubble, illustrates a vain attempt to shield himself from the collapsing building.

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An in-depth examination revealed the cause of their demise to be multiple traumas from the building’s partial collapse.

This poignant snapshot gives a chilling insight into the terror experienced by Pompeii’s residents during the city’s last moments.

In the span of just over 24 hours, the Vesuvius eruption obliterated Pompeii, ending the lives of 15 to 20 percent of the city’s population.

Buried under a thick blanket of volcanic ash, the Roman city was frozen in a horrific tableau, remaining untouched for centuries until its rediscovery in 1748.

The findings at the site, combined with historical accounts like those of Pliny the Younger, have helped archaeologists piece together the timeline of the catastrophic event and provide a glimpse into Roman life.

Gabriel Zuchtriegel, the director of the Pompeii Archaeological Park, expressed how “modern excavation techniques help to shed light on the inferno that descended on Pompeii over two days, leading to the city’s complete destruction.”

The earthquake that claimed the lives of the unearthed men most likely occurred during the eruption’s initial stages, before the torrent of pumice stones and deadly pyroclastic flows further devastated the city.

Sangiuliano stressed that discoveries such as this “confirm the necessity of continuing scientific investigation and excavations” in Pompeii, a sentiment echoed by many in the archaeological community.

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An “immense archaeological laboratory,” Pompeii continues to amaze the world with its ongoing revelations, vividly illustrating the human side of one of history’s most notorious natural disasters.


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