Modifying multiple genes and hoping to treat diseases with CRISPR-Cas12a
<b>Reading Time:</b> 4 minutes<p> A Swiss team figured out how to modify multiple genes in one cell using the gene-editing CRISPR-system Cas12a. What do the findings mean for disease treatment strategies? In May, during our Amsterdam S.H.I.T. Show, we talked about the gene-editing CRISPR-Cas systems and how they enable you to cut DNA almost anywhere you want. The tools…
Blue is for Girls, Pink is for Boys
<b>Reading Time:</b> 6 minutes<p> “Is it a boy or a girl?” The first question we ask about a new baby. But can we honestly answer it? Or is this distinction between male and female sex or gender trickier than we think? In our society, we accept that genitalia determines our sex and gender: if you are born with a…
S.H.I.T. Show to the people! (an update)
<b>Reading Time:</b> 4 minutes<p> OK, so we arranged our first ever Science&Health Informal Talk (S.H.I.T.) Show in Amsterdam. We uploaded pictures from it on our social media, but where’s that written update we promised you?? Sorry for the delay, but it’s summer here. Plus, the preparation for the event took some time and accumulated our responsibilities outside the Ivory…
The Upcoming S.H.I.T. Show and How It All Started, Interviewing the Organizers
<b>Reading Time:</b> 5 minutes<p> In case you haven’t heard, the Ivory Embassy is organizing the upcoming Science & Health Informal Talk Show (or simply the S.H.I.T. Show). The event DNA Manipulation: Treating Diseases and Designing Babies with CRISPR takes place in Amsterdam on May 23rd and will highlight the implications of CRISPR-Cas – a new biotechnological tool that can…
Epigenetics: the making of a concert
<b>Reading Time:</b> 4 minutes<p> Epigenetics: the making of a concert Epigenetics is important for the development of an organism. It’s also an important process in cancer, and a potential target in the battle against it. Word has it that epigenetics is “hot” as fudge in research. It’s the present and future they say. Don’t believe me? Ask my mom;…
Genome edited CRISPR babies are born
<b>Reading Time:</b> 3 minutes<p> It finally happened. The first CRISPR edited babies were recently born! Or that’s the claim at least. He Jiankui, a scientist from the Southern University of Science and Technology of China in Shenzhen claims to have disabled a gene important for HIV infections. He edited embryos using CRISPR, which he then used for in vitro…
The top six reasons only some diseases are treated in CRISPR clinical trials… for the moment
<b>Reading Time:</b> 6 minutes<p> The top six reasons only some diseases are treated in CRISPR clinical trials… for the moment Damn, this CRISPR-thing escalated fast. In 2013, we could read the first reports of the genome editing tool CRISPR-Cas9 being used in human and mouse cells and just two years later it was suddenly possible to change genes in…
The gut microbiome (Part2) – what controls your microbiome?
<b>Reading Time:</b> 5 minutes<p> The gut microbiome (Part2) – what controls your microbiome? Yet another Q&A, because it’s fun. In our last post we saw that microorganisms in your digestive tracts is a big part of your life. Much of the bacteria in your intestines for example live in symbiosis with you and form can affect many aspects of…
The gut microbiome (Part1): The good, the bad and the slacker
<b>Reading Time:</b> 4 minutes<p> The gut microbiome (Part1): The good, the bad and the slacker This is a simple warm-up preparing you for a series of upcoming posts, dealing with the gut microbiome. You know, these microorganisms living inside you that can alter your mood, weight and overall health. Remember the germophobic times? The times when germs were…
How to recognise pseudoscience: 5 common traits
<b>Reading Time:</b> 9 minutes<p> How to recognise pseudoscience: 5 common traits Let’s talk pseudoscience. Why? Because it’s so available and many times seen as a replacement for conventional medicine. And to be honest, it also scares the crap out of me. We see it on the news, advertisements and social media. Some pharmacies even have shelves dedicated to homeopathy…