#dna double helix

[nando161mando]

"Rosalind Franklin discovered the DNA double helix in 1953, but she never won a Nobel Prize due to sexism.

Years later, Katalin Karikó was kicked out and forced to retire from academia.

Despite this, 70 years after Franklin's discovery, Karikó was awarded the Nobel Prize for developing life-saving #COVID vaccines from another nucleic acid, mRNA."

https://www.reddit.com/r/HermanCainAward/

[factflick]

Chapters of Life - Evolution: From Chemistry to Complexity

Chapter 1: The Primordial Soup – Where It All Began Once upon a time, about 3.8 billion years ago, the Earth was a very different place. Volcanoes roared, oceans boiled, and the atmosphere was a cocktail of gases. In this seemingly inhospitable environment, a miraculous event occurred – the birth of life from non-life, a process known as abiogenesis. Picture a warm, shallow pool or a deep-sea…

[everyendeavor]

Stunningly beautiful.

Two Serpents of the Caduceus and the Double Helix of DNA

[science-sculpt]

Epigenetics: A Journey Through Inheritance Beyond Genes

For centuries, scientists have been fascinated by the mysteries of heredity and how traits are passed down from generation to generation. DNA, the molecule that stores our genetic code, was once thought to be the sole determinant of our characteristics. However, a new frontier in biology, revealing a captivating layer of complexity beyond the DNA sequence itself: Epigenetics.

What is Epigenetics?

The term "epigenetics" was first coined in the 1940s by British biologist Conrad Waddington, but it wasn't until the late 20th century that its significance truly blossomed. Epigenetics, literally meaning "above genetics," refers to the study of heritable changes in gene expression that occur without alterations to the DNA sequence itself. Imagine DNA as the musical score, but epigenetics are the conductor and musicians who determine how the music is played. Through chemical modifications and adjustments to the proteins around DNA, epigenetics dictates which genes are turned on or off, influencing how cells function and ultimately shaping our health, development, and even behavior. Think of your DNA as the hardware: it contains the basic instructions for building and running your body. But epigenetics acts like the software, fine-tuning those instructions and determining which genes get turned on or off at specific times and in specific cells. These modifications, like chemical tags or changes in the packaging of DNA, don't alter the underlying code itself, but they can have a profound impact on how it's read and interpreted.

The Key Players:

DNA methylation: This process involves adding a methyl group to DNA, essentially silencing the gene it's attached to. Imagine it like putting a dimmer switch on a light bulb.

Histone modifications: Histones are proteins that package DNA, and changes in their structure can make genes more or less accessible to the cellular machinery needed for expression. Think of it like adjusting the curtains around a window - open wide for full light, slightly closed for filtered light.

Non-coding RNAs: These are molecules that don't code for proteins but can regulate gene expression in various ways. They're like the backstage crew in a play, ensuring everything runs smoothly.

The Power of Epigenetic Regulation

Epigenetic regulation plays a crucial role in various biological processes, including:

Development: During embryonic development, different cell types emerge from the same DNA blueprint by activating or silencing specific gene sets through epigenetic modifications.

Cellular differentiation: Specialized cells like muscle or nerve cells have unique functions due to differences in their active genes, controlled by epigenetic mechanisms.

Learning and memory: Epigenetic changes in brain cells are thought to be essential for learning and forming memories.

Aging: As we age, our epigenome accumulates changes that can contribute to age-related decline and disease.

Environmental influences: Diet, exercise, stress, and exposure to toxins can leave epigenetic marks on our genes, potentially impacting our health and even the health of future generations.

Epigenetics reminds us that we are not simply products of our genes. Our environment, choices, and experiences leave their mark, shaping who we are and potentially influencing our children's health. This deeper understanding of ourselves opens doors for self-awareness, empowerment, and potentially reshaping our narratives – not just as individuals, but as a species with the potential to leave a healthier legacy for generations to come.

[semioticapocalypse]

James Watson (left) and Francis Crick with their double helix DNA model at the Cavendish Laboratories. Cambridge University. 1953.

I Am Collective Memories   •    Follow me, — says Visual Ratatosk

[stabble]

Ghosts having DNA is actually so fucked up and I KNOW they probably put about two seconds of thought into it when they made Danny Phantom but I'M THINKING ABOUT IT NOW AND WHAT THE HELL

[weheartstims]

Hello hi!! May we have a stimboard centered around G1 Shockwave? Ideally with purple stims, themed around science and maybe a few jurassic park things? thx in advance !! we absolutely adore your stimboards 🫶

Shockwave (Transformers) with purple science and Jurassic Park!

🧬|🟣|🧬 🟣|🧬|🟣 🧬|🟣|🧬

[389]

Ryan Mitchell

[t00thpasteface]

thinking about the genetics lab i'm gonna be taking this fall and once again having that "if hawkeye can do this difficult science stuff then i can too" moment and just like last time i started thinking "wait did he though?" and well folks, this man did not even get to find out what DNA looks like until a couple months before he went home

[roseve-art]

Rafał Olbiński

[girlactionfigure]

Rosalind Franklin, chemist and DNA crystallographer.

Rosalind Franklin (1920-1958) has been called “the unsung hero of the double helix” after she failed to win recognition for her work in discovering the double-helix DNA.

Rosalind was born in London to a wealthy Jewish family. She studied chemistry at Cambridge University. She then went on to study the structures of carbon in coal, and later, viruses in plants and animals. In the 1940s, she studied plant viruses that blighted important agricultural crops, including the potato, turnip, tomato and pea. In 1957, she conducted research into the virus that causes polio.

In 1953, she made the most important discovery in her career. Using x-ray equipment and a micro-camera, Franklin photographed and analyzed samples of DNA. In May 1952, Franklin and a graduate student took a ground-breaking photo, labelled #51, which unequivocally provided the first clear image of DNA and its helical pattern.

Franklin’s research results had been passed to fellow scientists James Crick and Francis Watson without her knowledge or permission. Her photo, and her precise analysis of the x-ray diffraction data inspired Crick and Watson to reject their initial idea of a three-helix molecule and make the necessary calculations to develop the double helix model of the DNA strand we now know. Without Franklin, there likely would have been no global recognition for Watson and Crick and no Nobel Prize.

Crick and Watson were awarded the Nobel Prize in 1962. Franklin had already died of ovarian cancer in 1957 at the tragically young age of 37. When Crick and Watson were given their prize they not only did not acknowledge Franklin’s contribution to their work, they never even mentioned her name in any of their publications.

Franklin may not have been recognized during her lifetime, but years later, Watson and Crick did eventually acknowledge her contributions. In a book published in 1968, “The Double Helix” Watson wrote, “The instant I saw the picture my mouth fell open and my pulse began to race. The black cross of reflections which dominated the picture could only arise from a helical structure.”

There is now a Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science in Chicago, which was originally founded in 1912 as the Chicago Hospital-College of Medicine, and was renamed after Franklin in 2004. Franklin has also become greater known among the general public, and was placed fifth in the 2018 BBC History Magazine poll of the world’s most influential women.

Finally, years after her death, Rosalind Franklin, whose work was instrumental in unlocking the structure of DNA, is receiving the recognition she deserved for so long.

Historical Photos of Women's Stories

[heintzmagic]

[foxholeatheists]

"It's beautiful," Crick breathes, erect and standing while admiring the erect and standing model of double-helix DNA, all bases correctly paired as the metal pieces spin a frozen tower heavenward, reaching. Reaching like humanity grasping for God, but now they've finally reached divinity. Once a project of babel, now solved. Finally, it's complete. "Crick," says Watson in that quick way of his, chewing at nothing. "Your crick, is, well, cricked. Your wank is cranked." "Watson, you. God's sake for the last time stop looking at my penis"

[quicksilversquared]

For the most part, I've gotten fewer weird-ass answers from students on their worksheets as the semester goes on. And then this week, we had DNA and Inheritance, and there was a question about dominant traits and does dominant allele mean higher fitness- and let me tell you, that question's answers are a mess. Some I'm just staring at and going....there are a lot of words here that are completely wrong, do I give any points?

anyway the course coordinator is going to be getting feedback on that question tomorrow, it was worded poorly and we needed more slides to cover it more clearly. Some students did perfectly, but others are. uh. Didn't get the memo.

[science-sculpt]

A snip, a splice : Power of rDNA Technology

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), the blueprint of life, holds the secrets to the intricate workings of every living organism. But what if we could manipulate this blueprint, adding, removing, or tweaking its code? This revolutionary concept forms the core of recombinant DNA (rDNA) technology, a powerful tool that has transformed biology and medicine.

The story starts in the early 1970s with two brilliant scientists; Stanley Cohen at Stanford University and Herbert Boyer at the University of California, San Francisco. Cohen, a microbiologist, had been studying plasmids – small circular DNA molecules found in bacteria. Boyer, a biochemist, was an expert on restriction enzymes – molecular scissors that could cut DNA at specific sequences. Their collaboration proved groundbreaking. They envisioned combining these tools to create the first ever recombinant DNA molecule. Cohen provided the plasmids, which would act as vectors to carry foreign DNA into host cells. Boyer, on the other hand, used restriction enzymes to cut both the plasmid and the desired foreign DNA, allowing them to be pieced together. Through meticulous experimentation, they successfully created the first recombinant DNA molecule, forever altering the course of biology.

Cohen and Boyer's work wouldn't have been possible without the earlier discoveries of restriction enzymes. These "molecular scissors" were independently identified by three separate research groups in the 1960s. Werner Arber in Switzerland, along with Hamilton Smith and Daniel Nathans in the US, unraveled the role of restriction enzymes in bacterial defense mechanisms. These enzymes helped bacteria defend against invading viruses by cutting up their foreign DNA. Recognizing the potential of these "genetic scalpels," the groundwork was laid for their application in rDNA technology.

Here's a simplified breakdown of the rDNA process:

Isolation of DNA: The journey starts with isolating DNA from a donor organism.

Cleavage with Restriction Enzymes: Specific enzymes cut the DNA at defined sequences.

Selection of Vector: A carrier molecule (often a plasmid) is chosen to transport the recombinant DNA.

Ligation: The DNA fragments and vector are stitched together using DNA ligase, an enzyme.

Transformation: The recombinant DNA enters a host cell (usually bacteria or yeast).

Selection and Expression: The transformed cells are selected, and the gene of interest is expressed, leading to the desired protein production.

Since its inception, rDNA technology has played a pivotal role in several groundbreaking advancements. Let's take a whirlwind tour through some of the most significant moments in R-DNA history:

1978: Birth of Insulin on the Factory Floor: Scientists achieved a feat of genetic engineering by using R-DNA to produce human insulin in bacteria. This marked a turning point for diabetics, offering a readily available and more consistent source of this life-saving hormone.

1980s: Gene Wars and the Rise of GMOs: The 1980s saw the development of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Plants were engineered with genes for insect resistance or herbicide tolerance, sparking debates about the safety and ethics of this technology. R-DNA research continues to be at the forefront of discussions regarding genetically modified foods.

1990s: The Human Genome Project Sets Sail: This ambitious international project aimed to sequence the entire human genome. R-DNA techniques played a crucial role in deciphering the 3 billion letters of our genetic code, opening doors for personalized medicine and a deeper understanding of human health and disease.

2000s: Gene Therapy Takes Center Stage: The first successful gene therapy trials for inherited diseases like severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) took place. R-DNA technology offered a glimmer of hope for treating genetic disorders by introducing healthy genes to replace defective ones.

2010s and Beyond: CRISPR Takes Over: The emergence of CRISPR-Cas9, a revolutionary gene editing tool based on R-DNA principles, has ushered in a new era of genetic manipulation. With unprecedented precision, scientists can now edit genes in various organisms, holding immense potential for gene therapy, crop improvement, and even the eradication of diseases.

But with great power comes great responsibility, and R-DNA raises a host of ethical concerns.Tinkering with the building blocks of life carries the risk of unintended consequences. Engineered genes could escape and disrupt ecosystems, or modified organisms could have unforeseen health effects. The ability to edit human genes opens the door to designer babies, raising questions about social equity and the potential misuse of the technology for eugenics.

Who Controls the Tools? Access to R-DNA technology could be restricted to wealthy nations or corporations, exacerbating existing inequalities. Biosecurity is also a concern, as the technology could be misused for bioterrorism. Creating entirely new organisms forces us to confront what it means to be "natural." Should we modify plants and animals for human benefit, or preserve their original forms? R-DNA technology is a powerful tool, and we must have open discussions about its ethical implications. Scientists, policymakers, and the public all need to be involved in shaping the future of this technology. As we move forward, open dialogue and collaboration between scientists, policymakers, and the public are crucial to ensure the safe and ethical application of this powerful technology.

The journey of rDNA technology is a testament to human ingenuity and its potential to reshape our world. From decoding the secrets of life to creating solutions for healthcare, agriculture, and beyond, rDNA technology continues to evolve, promising a future filled with exciting possibilities.

[thepastisalreadywritten]

A bronze statue of a laboratory mouse knitting a double helix of DNA in order to honor all the mice that were sacrificed for genetic research to develop new drugs to fight diseases.

It was designed by Andrew Kharkevich and is located in Siberia, Russia.

The monument was completed on 1 July 2013, coinciding with the 120th anniversary of the founding of the city.

The monument commemorates the sacrifice of the mice in genetic research used to understand biological and physiological mechanisms for developing new drugs and curing diseases.

Sculptor Alexei Agrikolyansky, who created the statue, confessed that it was challenging to capture this moment, as the mouse was obviously not human.

Nevertheless, he had to produce a character with believable emotions while maintaining anatomical proportions, avoiding it looking like a cartoon character or a real mouse.

The DNA spiral emerging from the knitting needles winds to the left, symbolizing the still poorly understood Z-DNA - representing the scientific research that is yet to be done.

In contrast, the more common B-DNA winds to the right.

The very first photograph of DNA was captured by a woman named Rosalind Franklin (25 July 1920 – 16 April 1958) using X-ray technology, allowing James Dewey Watson (born April 6, 1928) and Francis Harry Compton Crick OM FRS (8 June 1916 – 28 July 2004) to accurately characterize the double helix.

While they went on to win the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1962, Franklin was not credited.

Sadly, she had passed away in 1958 from ovarian cancer, most likely caused by the high radiation exposure she endured while working with X-rays to capture the image of the double helix.

🤎🤍🤎