ECOLOGY AND ENERGY PRODUCTION

ECOLOGY AND ENERGY PRODUCTION

Sunday, December 31, 2017






Former Nasa scientist wants to create a new breed of SUPERHUMANS by 'helping people genetically modify themselves' using DNA injections (and he's even tried them on himself)

  • Dr Josiah Zayner, 36, is the first person known to have edited his own DNA
  • The biochemist attempted to give himself super strength using gene therapy 
  • In a new interview, Dr Zayner said humans are 'slaves to the genomes we have'
  • He claimed humanity will develop into a new species thanks to widespread genetic engineering 

A former Nasa researcher says he wants to 'help humans genetically modify themselves' to create a new breed of superhumans.
Dr Josiah Zayner, 36, made headlines last month when he became the first person known to have edited his own DNA.
The biochemist attempted to give himself super strength by removing a protein that inhibits muscle growth in his left arm, via an injection of DIY gene therapy.
In a new interview, Dr Zayner claims we are 'slaves to the genomes we have', and believes humanity will develop into a new breed of super-strong human thanks to widespread DIY genetic engineering.
A former Nasa researcher has said he wants to 'help humans genetically modify themselves'. Dr Josiah Zayner, 36, (pictured) has said we are 'slaves to the genomes we have', claiming humanity will develop into a new species thanks to widespread genetic engineering
A former Nasa researcher has said he wants to 'help humans genetically modify themselves'. Dr Josiah Zayner, 36, (pictured) has said we are 'slaves to the genomes we have', claiming humanity will develop into a new species thanks to widespread genetic engineering

DR JOSIAH ZAYNER 

Dr Josiah Zayner started his scientific career with a fellowship to work with Nasa's Synthetic Biology program, engineering bacteria to help grow life on Mars.
The 36-year-old quit the programme to begin working on human genetic engineering technologies, and has since become a leading figure in the growing 'biohacker' movement.
The trend involves groups of scientists, engineers and activists experimenting with biotechnology, including editing human DNA to create 'superhumans'.
Despite warnings from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that the sale of gene therapy products without regulatory approval is illegal, Dr Zayner sells basic genetic engineering kits online.
The California-based biochemist has published a free guide for people who want to take his introductory kits further and experiment on themselves.Speaking the Guardian, Dr Zayner said: 'I imagine people going to some place like a tattoo parlour, and instead of getting a tattoo they pick out some DNA that makes them muscly, or changes the colour of their hair or eyes.
'DNA defines what a species is, and I imagine it wouldn’t be too long into the future when the human species almost becomes a new species because of these modifications.'
Despite warnings from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that the sale of gene therapy products without regulatory approval is illegal, Dr Zayner sells basic genetic engineering kits online. 
He is the founder and CEO of a genetic engineering company called The Odin. 
Last year, he sold $200,000 worth of products, including a kit for yeast that can be used to brew glowing bioluminescent beer and a kit to discover antibiotics at home. 
The California-based biochemist has published a free guide for people who want to take his introductory kits further and experiment on themselves. 
Dr Zayner said: 'We have always been slaves to the genomes we have, and giving people the ability to change that almost changes what it means to be human.
'It seems so sci-fi and made up, but we’ve been genetically modifying humans with gene therapy since the 1990s – it’s just been very few people and for medical reasons. I want to help humans genetically modify themselves.'
Dr Zayner started his scientific career with a fellowship to work with Nasa's Synthetic Biology program, engineering bacteria to help grow life on Mars.
The 36-year-old quit the programme to begin working on human genetic engineering technologies, and has since become a leading figure in the growing 'biohacker' movement.
The trend involves groups of scientists, engineers and activists experimenting with biotechnology, including editing human DNA to create 'superhumans'.
Dr Zayner made headlines last month when he became the first person known to have edited their own DNA using Crispr (artist's impression). The biochemist attempted to give himself super strength by removing a protein that inhibits muscle growth in his left arm
Dr Zayner made headlines last month when he became the first person known to have edited their own DNA using Crispr (artist's impression). The biochemist attempted to give himself super strength by removing a protein that inhibits muscle growth in his left arm

HAS DR ZAYNER EDITED HIS OWN DNA? 

In November, Dr Zayner made headlines when he became the first person known to have edited their own DNA.
The biochemist attempted to give himself super strength by removing a protein that inhibits muscle growth in his left arm, via an injection of DIY gene therapy. 
Dr Zayner said he expects that the DNA in some of his arm's muscle cells will have changed following his experiment, but added he does not have the tests to confirm this.
He admitted he is 'sceptical' of the chances the size of his arm muscle will change.Following his November DIY gene editing stunt, which the biochemist livestreamed online, Dr Zayner admitted he had not yet seen the effects of his experiment.
He told the Guardian that similar experiments with animals have only shown results after four to six months of treatment.
The 36-year-old's gene therapy technique involved the use of Crispr-Cas9, a tool for making precise edits in DNA.
The technique involves a DNA cutting enzyme and a small tag which tells the enzyme where to cut.
By editing this tag, scientists can target the enzyme to specific regions of DNA and make precise cuts, which can be used to 'silence' genes by turning them off.
Dr Zayner said he expects that the DNA in some of his arm's muscle cells will have changed following his experiment, but added he does not have the tests to confirm this. 
He added he is 'sceptical' of the chances the size of his arm muscle will change.
An introduction to genome editing using CRISPR/Cas9 techniques
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WHAT IS CRISPR-CAS9?

CRISPR-Cas9 is a tool for making precise edits in DNA, discovered in bacteria.
The acronym stands for 'Clustered Regularly Inter-Spaced Palindromic Repeats'.
The technique involves a DNA cutting enzyme and a small tag which tells the enzyme where to cut.
By editing this tag, scientists are able to target the enzyme to specific regions of DNA and make precise cuts, wherever they like.
The CRISPR/Cas9 technqiue uses tags which identify the location of the mutation, and an enzyme, which acts as tiny scissors, to cut DNA in a precise place, allowing small portions of a gene to be removed
The CRISPR/Cas9 technqiue uses tags which identify the location of the mutation, and an enzyme, which acts as tiny scissors, to cut DNA in a precise place, allowing small portions of a gene to be removed
It has been used to 'silence' genes - effectively switching them off.
When cellular machinery repairs the DNA break, it removes a small snip of DNA.
In this way, researchers can precisely turn off specific genes in the genome.
The approach has been used previously to edit the HBB gene responsible for a condition called β-thalassaemi

Friday, December 22, 2017




Asylum applications to the European Union will TRIPLE by 2100 as global warming causes people to move to cooler climates, experts claim

  • Experts analysed EU asylum applications filed from people in 103 countries 
  • They found global weather shocks have increased the number of applications 
  • Temperature changes in agricultural regions during growing seasons to blame
  • Cutting carbon emissions could partially reduce this number by a quarter

Migrants applying for asylum in the European Union will triple from current levels by the year 2100 due to rising temperatures across the globe, climate scientists claim.
They say Europe could face a 'massive influx' of people by the end of the century if carbon emissions hold steady as hotter temperatures will accelerate migration.
A new study suggests that cutting emissions could partially reduce this number, but even an 'optimistic' scenario could see asylum applications rise by at least a quarter.
They say that, outside of conflict, temperature changes in agricultural regions during growing seasons are to blame.

Migrants applying for asylum in the European Union will triple from current levels by the year 2100. This graphic shows the number of asylum applications in each country to the European Union between 2001 and 2014, alongside the project increase due to global warming
Migrants applying for asylum in the European Union will triple from current levels by the year 2100. This graphic shows the number of asylum applications in each country to the European Union between 2001 and 2014, alongside the project increase due to global warming

AGRICULTURE, CLIMATE CHANGE AND ASYLUM

Professor Schlenker and his colleagues found that if temperatures deviated from 20°C (68°F) in each country's agricultural region during its growing season, the more likely people were to seek refuge abroad.
Crops grow best at an average temperature of 20°C, and so not surprisingly, hotter than normal temperatures increased asylum applications in hotter places, such as Iraq and Pakistan, and lowered them in colder places such as Serbia and Peru.
Combining the asylum-application figures with projections of future warming, the researchers found that an increase of average global temperatures of 1.8°C (3.24°F) - an 'optimistic scenario' in which carbon emissions flatten globally in the next few decades and then decline - would translate into 98,000 extra applications to the EU each year.
If carbon emissions continue on their current trajectory, with global temperatures rising by 2.6°C (4.6°F) to 4.8°C (8.6°F) by 2100, this would lead to an extra 660,000 applications filed each year.
Under the landmark climate deal struck in Paris in 2015, most of the world's nations agreed to cut carbon emissions to limit warming by 2100 to 2°C (3.6°F) above pre-industrial levels.
President Trump's recent decision to withdraw the United States, the world's second largest carbon emitter, from the accord now jeopardises that goal. The research, led by Columbia University's school of international and public affairs, suggests that weather shocks in countries around the world have increased applications by asylum seekers hoping to enter the EU.
By the end of the century, even under a slow-warming scenario in which future greenhouse gas emissions decline, applications into the EU could increase by 28 per cent.
And, they could increase by 188 per cent under a fast-warming scenario where future emissions continue to increase. 
Previous studies have found a link between weather variations and migration, but the Columbia team endeavoured to explore this relationship on a greater, global scale.
They analysed EU asylum applications filed from 103 countries between 2000 and 2014, an average of 351,000 applications per year.
They compared this with environmental data across those countries during the same timeframe, and adjusting for other distress factors such as conflict. 
They identified a relationship between fluctuations in asylum applications and weather anomalies.
Senior author Professor Wolfram Schlenker, an economist at Columbia, said: 'Europe is already conflicted about how many refugees to admit.
'Though poorer countries in hotter regions are most vulnerable to climate change, our findings highlight the extent to which countries are interlinked, and Europe will see increasing numbers of desperate people fleeing their home country.Even under a slow-warming scenario, applications into the EU could increase by 28 per cent, translating into 98,000 extra applications each year. If carbon emissions continue on their current trajectory, this would lead to an extra 660,000 applications filed each year
Even under a slow-warming scenario, applications into the EU could increase by 28 per cent, translating into 98,000 extra applications each year. If carbon emissions continue on their current trajectory, this would lead to an extra 660,000 applications filed each year
TOP 30 COUNTRIES BY PREDICTED INCREASE OF ASYLYUM CLAIMS
CountryApplications (2001-2014)Predicted Increase
Kuwait138490%
Iraq25513399%
Pakistan13636112%
Niger466102%
Mauritania292396%
Djibouti14769%
Sudan339758%
Chad48748%
Thailand4244%
Bangladesh853539%
Egypt171535%
Cambodia11634%
Iran1247134%
Burkina Faso49033%
Turkmenistan8933%
India629532%
Vietnam317432%
Occupied Palestinian Territory138631%
Eritrea760330%
Jordan34128%
Venezuela8726%
Yemen34425%
Angola314424%
Gambia177824%
Somalia1306123%
Saudi Arabia3123%
Syria1743723%
Mali385122%
Senegal153122%
Nigeria1185120%
Professor Schlenker and his colleagues found that if temperatures deviated from 20°C (68°F) in each country's agricultural region during its growing season, the more likely people were to seek refuge abroad.
Crops grow best at an average temperature of 20°C, and so not surprisingly, hotter than normal temperatures increased asylum applications in hotter places, such as Iraq and Pakistan, and lowered them in colder places such as Serbia and Peru.
Combining the asylum-application figures with projections of future warming, the researchers found that an increase of average global temperatures of 1.8°C (3.2°F) - an 'optimistic scenario' in which carbon emissions flatten globally in the next few decades and then decline - would translate into 98,000 extra applications to the EU each year. 
Migrants applying for asylum in the European Union will triple current levels by the year 2100 due to rising temperatures across the globe. They say Europe could face a 'massive influx' of people by the end of the century if carbon emissions hold steady
Migrants applying for asylum in the European Union will triple current levels by the year 2100 due to rising temperatures across the globe. They say Europe could face a 'massive influx' of people by the end of the century if carbon emissions hold steady
If carbon emissions continue on their current trajectory, with global temperatures rising by 2.6°C (4.6°F) to 4.8°C (8.6°F) by 2100, this would lead to an extra 660,000 applications filed each year.
Under the landmark climate deal struck in Paris in 2015, most of the world's nations agreed to cut carbon emissions to limit warming by 2100 to 2°C (3.6°F) above pre-industrial levels.
President Trump's recent decision to withdraw the United States, the world's second largest carbon emitter, from the accord now jeopardises that goal.

OTHER WAYS CLIMATE CHANGE IS FUELLING MIGRATION

The research adds to a growing body of evidence that weather shocks can destabilise societies, stoke conflict and force people to flee their home countries.
In a 2011 study in Nature, researchers led by Solomon Hsiang, then a graduate student at SIPA, linked modern El Niño drought cycles to increased violence and war globally.
More recently, researchers have highlighted the connection between the drying of the Middle East and ongoing conflict there.
Dr Hsiang, now an economics professor at the University of California, Berkeley, who was not involved in the research, called the study an 'incredibly important' wake-up call. 
He said: 'We will need to build new institutions and systems to manage this steady flow of asylum seekers.
'As we have seen from recent experience in Europe, there are tremendous costs, both for refugees and their hosts, when we are caught flat footed. We should plan ahead and prepare.'Study coauthor Anouch Missirian, a PhD candidate at SIPA, said: 'In the end, a failure to plan adequately for climate change by taking the full cost of carbon dioxide emissions into account will prove far more costly.'
The research adds to a growing body of evidence that weather shocks can destabilise societies, stoke conflict and force people to flee their home countries.
In a 2011 study in Nature, researchers led by Solomon Hsiang, then a graduate student at SIPA, linked modern El Niño drought cycles to increased violence and war globally.
More recently, researchers have highlighted the connection between the drying of the Middle East and ongoing conflict there.
Dr Hsiang, now an economics professor at the University of California, Berkeley, who was not involved in the research, called the study an 'incredibly important' wake-up call.
NASA scientists: 2014 was the warmest year since 1880
He said: 'We will need to build new institutions and systems to manage this steady flow of asylum seekers.
'As we have seen from recent experience in Europe, there are tremendous costs, both for refugees and their hosts, when we are caught flat footed. We should plan ahead and prepare.'
Dr Colin Kelley, a climate scientist at Columbia's International Research Institute for Climate and Society who linked climate change to Syria's ongoing conflict, also praised the research.
He said: 'It's unclear how much more warming will occur between now and the end of the century, but the study clearly demonstrates just how much climate change acts as a threat multiplier.
'Wealthier countries can expect to feel the direct and indirect effects of weather shocks from man-made climate change in poorer, less resilient countries.'
The research was initiated at the request of the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC), which also provided funding.
Juan-Carlos Ciscar, a senior expert at the JRC's Economics of Climate Change, Energy and Transport Unit, said: 'These findings will be especially important to policymakers since they show that climate impacts can go beyond the borders of a single country by possibly driving higher migration flows.'
He added: 'Further research should look at ways for developing countries to adapt their agricultural practices to climate change.' 
The full findings of the study were published in the journal Science.