We are facing a new war and this time the enemy can’t be seen with the bare eye

Recently I attended a speech of a fellow student about antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and its emerging  problem. The speech made me realize that if no action is taken, common diseases such as a cold can become fatal, if that doesn’t sound frightening! Now how does this antimicrobial resistance occur and how do we fight against it?

AMR occurs via a wide range of mechanisms. Target genes of antibiotics evolve under the antimicrobial selection pressure there is. When mutations appear in the genome of the micro-organism, these mutations can cause changes in the micro-organism, making it resistant to its designed antibiotic. This may happen through efflux of the antibiotic, hydrolysis or degradation of the antibiotic, changing the components of certain proteins, etc.

But how it occurs isn’t the issue since this is just nature doing its job. The real problem is the consequences it brings along. AMR increases health-care costs, length of stay in hospitals, morbidity and mortality in both developed and developing countries and so on. According to a recent report 10 million deaths will be attributed to AMR by the year of 2050, which is a staggering number, isn’t it? Certainly in developing countries this can become a serious issue for national wellbeing and health, since there are  often suboptimal hygiene conditions, lack of prevention and control measures and unsafe water.

Despite the clear evidence that AMR poses a threat, there is little information on how to deal with this emerging issue. Like my colleague-student mentioned, it will be important to heighten awareness of policy-makers, health care workers and the general public about the risks associated with AMR. Furthermore it’s for the best if antibiotic consumption is limited down to the cases where it is absolutely necessary to administer medication for survival. Finally funding in research to create new antibiotics and find other solutions is a step in the right direction to keep the situation under control. This will be the way to win the battle against antimicrobial resistance if you ask me, or even better, to nip it in the butt before this biological war has the chance to actually start!

Sources:

Presentation Ricky Colman

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5739407/

Could science preserve endangered species and resurrect extinct ones?

We hear it in the news every day: this species is endangered, and this one and this one. The list endangered and extinct animals is getting longer and longer by the day. If modern society continues as it does, a somber future with little biological diversity will lie ahead. It’s already said a sixth mass extinction event is taking place with a dozen of animal and plant species lost daily. Therefore, it’s high time we take action and this is what scientists are trying to do with the development of the iPSC technology.

Scientists have developed a technology by reverting specialized cells from an adult organism into an embryonic like state. These cells are termed induced pluripotent stem cells, iPSC. The special thing about these cells is that they can differentiate into multiple different cell types, which includes egg cells and sperm cells, the gametes of an animal. So far iPSC cell lines have been manufactured from a range of species including birds, primates and large cats. The technology has already booked some success in an experiment by using iPSCs from piglets to create new, viable offspring. More recently embryonic stem cells, ESCs, and embryos have been created from the endangered northern white rhinoceros by using the iPSC technology. These embryos can be used to implant in a female rhinoceros and preserving the species through assisted reproductive technologies.

At the moment there is also an interest to revive extinct species such as the dodo, the Tasmanian tiger, the passenger pigeon and the mammoth by using the iPSC technology. Combined with genetic engineering with similar subspecies, there’s potential for resurrection of the extinct species.  Imagine those species walking on the earth again! It’s almost like science fiction and reality become one. Despite this all sounds very promising, it’s hard to predict what the influence on wildlife will be once these species are reintroduced. For example, reintroduction of gray wolves to Yellowstone National park positively affected the population growth of other endangered species like the beaver, but this positive influence can’t be guaranteed  in every situation.  

Lastly, one is very interested in developing animal based product in the lab such as leather, ivory and meat without having to kill or harm a living animal. This would also mean a cut-back in crimes like poaching and helps indirectly protecting animals from extinction. All in all, the iPSC technology only promises good so far.

sources:

https://stemcellsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/sctm.18-0047

Cultured Meat: A future where animals no longer have to be killed

What if one told you animals should be harmed no longer and you can still enjoy your beloved burger? Imagine no more environmental costs because of meat production, no more unethical treatments of animals, no more murder. This could well be the future of the meat industry. Sounds appealing doesn’t it?

In the past years scientists have been trying to achieve the development of cultured meat, also known as “clean” meat. Cultured meat is fabricated by the cultivation of stem cells. These cells have the unique characteristic of being able to differentiate in any cell type, including muscle cells. By means of this method only a few living cells of an animal need to be isolated to start producing cultured meat. According to the company Mosa Meat, 1 sample of cow tissue is  sufficient to make 80 000 burgers!

Now you might think: “If this meat is so beneficial and amazing, how come I’ve never seen it in the supermarkets yet?” In order to serve as a credible alternative to conventional meat, lab grown meat should be efficiently produced and should mimic meat in all of its physical sensations, most importantly the taste. The optimal combination of biochemical and physical conditions for culturing stem cells, hasn’t been found yet. This means that the protein synthesis by cultured muscle cells hasn’t been maximized and the ideal substitute for conventional meat is still in the make. Another important factor is the product cost. In 2013 the cost of 1 burger was up to 300 000$! Over the past years the costs have dropped to a good 600$ for 1 burger which is nevertheless a mind-blowing number. If the trend continues, cultured meat will be ready in several years to compete with conventional meat production.

Though  there is some work to do, the prospects are promising. With hope in mind and further progress in research and upcoming technology, there will soon be a future where people can enjoy their meals without hurting flora or fauna.

sources:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0309174012001210

http://embor.embopress.org/content/20/1/e47395.full