Top 5 Greatest Achievement In Science and Technology

Technology in genetics has so much potential in the science field in developing the future of mankind. Recently one form of technology that injects one of the most advanced genes known as CRISPR has opened new paths for genetic experiments.

CRISPR was highly regarded up until 2020 when the innovator was awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry. Their new tool enables researchers to change the structure of DNA with very unique precision.

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CRISPR has helped to create new forms of chemotherapies for the treatment of cancer. Experts believed that one day it can be used to treat various problems or genetically-related diseases.

Of course, the incorporation of genes is a very controversial act that creates other issues related to ethics. This is because they consider it an act of changing god's creation. Here we would like to share with you some of the greatest achievements of mankind in science and technology.

1. Genetically Modified Goat's Milk To Create Anti-Cancer Drugs

Scientists from New Zealand have managed to create a goat that has been genetically modified to produce an anti-cancer drug in its milk. The goat was specifically modified to make a drug called cetuximab which is used in the treatment of colon and lung cancer.

As of now the drug itself will eat up the cost of $13,000 a month without insurance. The scientists hope that this new discovery, it will change the way of producing their new drug which will ultimately reduce the price of the drug and make it more accessible to everyone.

The production of cetuximab definitely does not come cheap. The chemical structure of the compound is very complex meaning that the manufacturers will have to rely on proteins in rat cells to make this drug.

However, this genetically modified goat will offer pharmaceutical industries a different approach to making cetuximab on a large scale.

2. Scientists Kept Data Inside Living DNA

We rely mostly on electronic devices such as pen drives, hard disks, and memory cards to store those important files inside. But now, a group of scientists from New York has managed to create a new method of storage by genetically injecting them inside a living bacterial DNA.

In 2021, researchers from the University of Colombia showed how a living E. coli cell can store data of up to 72bit. Basically, the data file will comprise one long line and zero. The scientists managed to encode one and zero inside the DNA of an E. coli cell by incorporating specific genes into the cell.

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They also wrote a simple message stating, "Hello world!" into the DNA cell of E. coli and later encode it by arranging the DNA. The scientists estimated that if one piece of DNA is the size of a grain of salt, it can fit the equivalent of 10 different films.

3. Gene Therapy For One Eye Enhancing the Vision of Both

This is another interesting experiment conducted by scientists where they found one form of gene therapy for the vision of the eyes which when injected into one eye will greatly improve the vision of both eyes.

This gene will move from the eye that has been injected towards the eye that has not been treated despite the ophthalmologist being unsure of the implications of this finding. The scientists made an attempt to treat the condition known as Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy(LHON).

As part of the research, 37 patients with LHON will receive the injection of gene therapy into one of their eyes. But what is most astonishing is that after 2 years, 29 of the patients have been reported to have improved vision in both their eyes.

At first, the scientists were quite surprised with the result that they discovered which was the virus of the gene therapy escaped from one eye and enters the other eye.

4. Cows That Are Heat Resistant

As the temperature rises so does a cow's stress level as they are easily prone to heat pressure. If they were left out under the scorching sun for too long, the cow will start to lose their appetite, produce less milk and have a low tendency to become pregnant.

As we can imagine, this will bring such a huge impact on farmers, especially that each year the heat pressure has resulted in the American dairy industries to have lost $900 million. But the situation is perhaps much worst in developing countries where farmers only have a few cows in possession.

But now scientists from New Zealand have found a solution for this problem that has a high potential for this cow. They used gene therapy that is injected into the cows which will result in different colors of the cow's fur by changing their pigmentation gene.

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They have successfully changed the color of normal dairy cows from dark to bright in color which will also affect the amount of heat that they absorbed.

5. Scientists Cured Rats With Deafness

In 2019, researchers from the Medical School of Harvard and Children's Hospital of Boston announced a new treatment for loss of hearing in rats that perhaps could be used on humans too.

The rat which was given the name Beethoven experienced a genetic mutation that similarly occurred in humans causing a progressive loss of vision and ultimately deafness. The name Beethoven as some of you may know refers to the popular German composer who also experienced hearing loss when he was 20 years old.

The loss of hearing experienced by the rat, Beethoven was caused by a small change in its DNA. But by using sophisticated biological technology, scientists are able to determine the impaired gene without compromising other healthy genes.

This means that they can cure Beethoven the rat from its deafness without leaving any unwanted side effects.

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