What is Knockout Animals ? - Part 1- Science 8

Knockout mice, credit to National Human Genome Research Institute

We might confuse with these two terms:

- knockout
- Transgenic.

Transgenic is insertion of exogenous DNA into random non homologous site in the animal genome.

While Knockout is insertion of modified DNA at a specific homologous site in the animal genome.

It is interesting to discuss about knockout term furthermore in this posting.

In addition, knockout is the word commonly used to inactive an exist of specific gene in particular organism.

The way to knocked out is by replacing or disrupting the target gene with an artificial piece of DNA.

This is a genetic technique by using homologous recombination to change an endogenous gene.

Garden corner, just illustration

Then, targeted gene could be permanent or conditional inactive or knockout.

Knockout could cause alter phenotype of organisms.

The changes might include behavior, appearance (observable physical) and biochemical characteristics of organisms.

Then, knockout organisms are used in learning about a gene that has been sequenced, which incompletely known function.

# To be continued to Part 2

# Previous postings:

- The Rainbow Before Evening : Making Perfume in the Organic Chemistry Laboratory - Science 1
- The Rainbow Before Evening : Russian Covid 19 Vaccine Advantages – Science 2

Why the Moon Has Thousands of Small Aliens? - Part 2 – Science 7

Voodoo, New Orleans Kettle Style, just illustration

Previous post: Why the Moon Has Thousands of Small Aliens? - Part 1 – Science 7

In case of hypothetical condition where all human being and living things destroyed in the world, because of:

- flood or natural disasters like story of prophet Noah in holy books
- wars (nuclear wars) and whatever caused

Hopefully, other highly intelligence creatures from other planets might find the lunar library, let’s say in the next hundred or thousand years.

They could learn something from man civilization on the earth.

What attract attention is less than 1 mm microorganism, Tardigrades or water bear or piglet like animals.

This microorganism is toughest living microorganism on the earth:

- may survive in the freezing north pole
- found in the deepest ocean
- grow well on the highest mountain
- survived in the space.

Tardigrades (credit to NewsBeezer)

It is assumed that the outer space intelligent also able to regenerate:

- human being from human blood sample
- plants and animals from living DNA
- microorganism from dormant “water bear”

We, human being and other living things could re-emerge on the earth. Exactly, like holy books’s story of prophet Noah in futuristic version.

Do you believe it?

# Previous postings:

- Can Scientists Create Glowing Plants? - Science 4
- The Amphibians Near Extinct due to Fungus Disease – Science 5
- Can Succulents Improve Room Humidity? - Science 6

Why the Moon Has Thousands of Small Aliens? - Part 1 – Science 7

Water bear (credit to CNN)

It was surprising me to know that our lunar surface is believed to occupy by thousands of tardigrade, also called as water bear or piglet like creatures.

These small aliens are part of mission “Noah Ark Mark II” to provide a library in the space craft, then landed on the moon.

In addition to tardigrades, the repository includes:

- human blood
- living DNA
- information about human civilization (30 million pages)
- almost all of English Wikipedia
- classic books

The library was belong to a non profit organization (Arch Mission Foundation), and sent to the moon by Beresheet, Israeli spacecraft.

Yes, spacecraft crashed on the moon, and might broken into small pieces, but tardigrade is believed to survive.

Then, what?

# To be continued to Part 2

## Previous postings:

- Making Perfume in the Organic Chemistry Laboratory - Science 1
- Russian Covid 19 Vaccine Advantages – Science 2
- Rediscovering of Rare Blue Bee in Florida in 2020 – Science 3

Can Succulents Improve Room Humidity? - Science 6

Fig 01- A kind of succulent, Aloe vera

We may surprise that there are more than 200 species of succulents, and each species may consist of 40 varieties.

When we went to one of nurseries in my city, Baton Rouge, Louisiana that we saw more than 20 species and varieties of succulent plants.

Around 35 important species have been planted in gardens or small industries all over the world, some of them are:

- Aloe vera
- hens and chick succulent
- burro’s tails
- Panda Plant
- Roseum
- Pincushion Cactus

One of special about succulent that they could store water in their body (leaves and stems), thus, many people believes that succulent is a symbol of enduring love.

Fig 02- Variety of hens and chick succulent

I myself have one species of succulent, Aloe vera. I put the plant inside when temperature drop during winter season, and outside when spring and summer.

Fig 03- Variety of burro’s tails

I use Aloe vera to treat my hair some times. It is because the succulent contains “proteolytic enzymes” to make smooth and shiny hair.

Then, Can Succulents Improve Room Humidity? Yes, sure. Several other benefits of succulent include:

- Improve skin cells
- Function as conditioner to take care our hair
- Improve hair growth
- Prevent itching on our scalp
- Improve purify the air, thus enrich fresh oxygen
- Brighten the room
- Improve pain tolerance

Do you have succulents indoor or outdoor (in your garden?) What kinds of succulent do you have?

A Cactus?

The Amphibians Near Extinct due to Fungus Disease – Science 5

Fig 01- A garden décor frog

In recent years, Science, volume 363 (published in 29 March 2019) reported declining of amphibian population worldwide due to fungal disease.

Among amphibians affected by this disease are:

- frogs

- toads

- salamanders

- newts

- caecilians

The fungus also described as “supefungus.” The scientific name of fungus is Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. This is a chytrid fungus, and then, disease is called as Chytridiomycosis.

Some symptoms of chytridiomycosis are following:

- convulsions

- lack of muscle control

- loss of appetite.

Fig 02- Magnolia blooming, just for illustration.

 

Fig 03- A little palm tree.

The fungus infects skin of frog or other amphibians, very painful, then causes:

- difficulty to breathe

- damage of nervous system.

- slowly kill amphibians

This fungal disease lead to decreasing about 30% of 501 amphibian species, include:

- almost extinction of 200 species

- extinction of 90 species

However, scientists have worked hard to prevent more devastation to amphibians population around the globe.

Can Scientists Create Glowing Plants? - Science 4

Succulent plants, just for illustration.

Before I answer the question: Can Scientists Create Glowing Plants? Let’s see the facts.

There are plenty of luminescence fungi In the forest across America and Asia. It is estimated at least 70 species of this kind of fungi.

Some mushroom that are glowing at night (Anna Noris, 2020):

- Panellus stipticus

- Panellus pusillus

- Armillaria mellea

- Armillaria gallica

- Mycena chlorophos

- Mycena luxaeterna

- Mycena haematopus

- Omphalotus illudens

- Omphalotus olearius

Some mushrooms that glowing in the dark 

(credit to Treehugger / Julie Bang)

Now, scientists have an idea to create glowing plants as well. The scientists come from these 3 following countries:

- United Kingdom

- Russia

- Austria.

DNA from mushroom then inserted into plants. Plants produce bioluminescence due to “a billion photons” per 60 seconds.

So, yes, Scientists can create glowing Plants. Then, what is purpose to create glowing plants?

The answer is that to produce the ornament plants, include glowing flowers for commercial, sold in the markets.

We may have these kind of plants and flowers in our houses in the near coming future.

Rediscovering of Rare Blue Bee in Florida in 2020 – Science 3

Bee swarm, just for illustration.

The blue bee was first noticed in Florida in 2011, then scientists identified its with scientific name as Osmia calaminthae.

However, the blue bee was disappeared in 2016. Many scientists believed that Osmia calaminthae was extincted.

Surprisingly, the blue bee was rediscovered in the same areas where its was gone.

This bee consumes pollen and nectar from a violet flower, well known as Ashe’s calamint or Ashe's savory.

The flower is a wild flower in Florida with a scientific name Calamintha ashei. Other species of Calamintha are:

- Calamintha georgiana, Georgia calamint

- Calamintha dentata, the toothed savory.

Unfortunately, Ashe’s calamint flower is a Florida endemic, and listed as threatened species of the state.

Flowers blooming, just for illustration

Yes, Osmia calaminthae is very extreme rare species, but genus Osmia has at least 350 different species which can be found worldwide.

Many of these 350 species are common species, to be critical role in natural pollination.

10 examples of species from genus Osmia are following:

- Osmia bicornis

- Osmia caerulescens

- Osmia cornifrons

- Osmia cornuta

- Osmia atriventris

- Osmia avosetta

- Osmia latreillei

- Osmia inermis

- Osmia lignaria

- Osmia ribifloris

Sources: Several readings include Smithsonian Magazine (2020) and CNN (2020).

Russian Covid 19 Vaccine Advantages – Science 2

Comparison of 4 different vaccines

The third clinical trials of Russian Covid 19 vaccine, Sputnik V has been published in the England medical journal, the Lancet (2021).

Sputnik effective rate is 92%, almost similar to American vaccines (Moderna and Biontech-Pfizer) which is 95%.

The advantages of Russian vaccine compared to American vaccines are following (in term of):

- price (about US$10 only)

- storage (able to be stored in regular fridge temperature)

Compared to UK’s vaccine, AstraZeneca, Sputnik V is clearly better in respect to effective rate.

If you read mainstream medias recently that South Africa government stop to conduct trials of AstraZeneca vaccine.

It is because the vaccine is not effective to control new strain from South Africa, called as 20H/ 501Y. V2 or B.1. 351.

Please read:

- Can Johnson & Johnson’s Vaccine Contains New Variants? - Virus 37.

However, the developer of Sputnik V believes that the vaccine works against Covid 19 new strains.

Whatever, people have plenty of choices, and hope, the vaccines are available in the market soon.

Making Perfume in the Organic Chemistry Laboratory - Science 1

Condenser for making perfume

You, we, teenagers, young, old, all of us encountered what we call as “perfume” in daily life.

May be thousands of perfume’s trade marks (brands) are available in the market: from famous to ordinary, from cheap to very expensive; from attractive to ordinary scents.

Many famous brand names perfumes made by modern manufacturer, mass scales, but some of them are homemade or small-scale industries.

In principle, we can produce perfumes by ourselves too, even in the garages.

First, we need apparatus called Condenser (please see above figure). It is a simple tool with two sides of tubulations: distilling flask in one side, and the receiving flask in another side.

Then, please prepared chosen fragrance herbs or shrewd plants in the distilling flask.

A flower, one source of scents. Illustration only.

There are plants or flowers could be sources of scent ingredient naturally, some of them are:

- jasmine

- lavender

- amyris

- lemongrass

- eucalyptus

- narcissus

- common lilac.

These plants known for their attractive fragrances.

Distilling flask which contains crushed plants or flowers within liquid, then ready to be heated.

Steam will bring the solvent, but crushed materials will stay in the distilling flask. Pure fragrance solvent will be collected in receiving flask.

Basically, this solvent could be used for further purposes such as for making perfumes.

You can make your own perfumes or may be your own brands. You may select many flowers you like as source of fragrances.

Just an example, luxury brand, Chanel used fragrance that extracted from plenty flower species include jasmine, rose geranium and iris pallida.

Would you try?