My current event is on editing genes.

Chinese Scientists Edit Genes of Human Embryos, Raising Concerns

By Gina Kolata

The New York Times

April 23, 2015

Aurora

Throughout 2015 experiments about editing genes have been going on. Though other scientists around the world had talked about doing gene editing experiments, this article is about the Chinese scientists who attempted to edit genes. These experiments will affect many people when there is a definite way to edit genes. Many people have cancerous genes in their DNA and after scientists find a way to edit genes we will have the potential opportunity to take these cancerous genes (and other diseases) out of people’s DNA before they are born. Editing genes could benefit everyone. The recent experiments took place in China. What they were hoping for was all of the cells to be changed so there would be no diseases but the DNA of the embryo would stay unaltered. Out of the 85 embryos they experimented on, none of them turned out the way that they wanted. In the Chinese experiments defective embryos were used so that a baby would never be born. Other scientists helped along the way, but the research was being done primarily by Chinese scientists. In order to edit genes the scientists use the CRISPR method.

“This is an unsafe procedure and should not be practiced at this time, and perhaps never.” - Dr. George Q. Daley

This quote reflects what most scientists feel about editing genes. Not only are people worried about the dangers of this type of experiment, they are worried about the ethics involved with genetic experimentation.

Editing genes is news that is very important. Maybe not to the people in the world who don’t have a disease that is killing them. Peter Warlick, a very close family friend has lou gehrig's disease. His children are four and six. He has two years to live, and in those two years he will get very sick. Imagine what he would do to not have lou gehrig's disease. I know that editing genes was not being experimented on before he was born, but this shows how important editing genes is. So many people watch their friends and families die from diseases. Now, we are on the edge of finding a way to make editing genes possible. I chose this article and topic because sooner or later scientists will find a way to edit genes. Scientists will be able to save many people’s lives before they are even alive.

I believe that editing genes is amazing. Being able to edit a gene that has a disease is remarkable. Other people think that editing genes is dangerous and unethical. Obviously it is dangerous, but that shouldn’t mean that scientists shouldn’t pursue this area of science. What experiment has had no danger in it? When scientists know how to edit genes without harming an embryo, there will be babies who are born with no diseases because the gene that carried a disease will have been taken out of them.

Chinese scientists did an experiment on editing genes. Even though they did not get what they were hoping for, every time scientists do more experiments on editing genes we learn more. Just like Jonas Salk’s experiments with finding a vaccine for polio, many people are fearing the outcomes of editing genes. I think that editing genes will be an amazing scientific discovery.

URL: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/24/health/chinese-scientists-edit-genes-of-human-embryos-raising-concerns.html?_r=2  

 Global Warming Along the Gulf of Maine

This graph shows how the temperature in The Gulf of Maine has been increasing over the last 33 years due to global warming.

Have you ever thought about everything that is being affected by global warming? Have you ever wondered about the effect it is having on all nearby industries? Well, Maine is one of the largest affected, and quickest places warming in the world, due to global warming. Over the last 35 years. Since 2004 the Yarmouth sand bar has been warming faster than any other place on the planet. In 2012 the water temperature has been the highest average for over 150 yearrs, it hasn't ever been this warm since humans started recording it. For two years the shrimp industry has been down due to the warming temperatures that are making a shortage of shrimp.

Back in the late 1900’s, global warming has been starting to take place. It has been melting the icebergs in the North Pole have been melting. Polar bears have been losing their natural habitat. From all of this melting, it is making the water levels higher. And the whole world is being affected by it. The gulf of maine, is becoming one of the most highly affected places of global warming since 2004. The water temperatures have been rising higher than any other place in the world. If there weren't two very cold recent winters, there would be a very small chance of many native species still in survival. Not to mention, the depth of the water.

This has put an effect on all of the native water species. It has been attracting invasives. Once they come over on bats, or cargo. Now that the waters are warmer, invasive species can live and have a higher chance of survival. In 2012- 2013 the green crab population erupted all along the gulf of maine. They wiped out the entire soft shell clam population. Blue crabs have been appearing in lobster traps along the Chesapeake bay. Now, Asian shore crabs have been dominating the shores along the coast of New Hampshire. All of these invasives have been able to survive, due to the global warming.

The Gulf of Maine is also one of the very few places in the world that are fitting and able to sustain marine life. The Gulf has many great features such as:  geography, oceanography, climate, and geology. On a standard map, the Gulf looks like a little more than a section of the atlantic ocean. But on an ocean chart, the true identity is unfolded. Hidden under the waves, at the southern entrance to the gulf are to monstrous islands that have submerged into the gulf. The islands separate the gulf from the rest of the ocean. This has changed and shaped the oceans currents. It is like a semi enclosed sea, it has a mind and current of it’s own.There are only two deep water channels that connect the gulf to the Atlantic Ocean. The larger channel is twenty two miles wide. The channels usually flow cold water through that keeps the gulf with some cold water from the outside, to keep the water temperature from becoming too warm.

Because the Gulf was known for the frosty temperatures, due to the water being put into the gulf is coming from the arctic. Species like cod: salmon, herring, mackerel, lobster, and  a type of zooplankton called Calanus finmarchicus. None of these species could live anywhere south of Cape Cod. The climate further away is too warm for them to survive. The cold climate keeps away other species like jellyfish and Green crabs. Now that the gulf is warming, they are able to thrive in the gulf.

Works Cited

“Mayday.” Portland Press Herald. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Jan. 2016. <http://www.pressherald.com/2015/10/25/mayday-gulf-maine-distress-six-part-series-from-colin-woodard/>.