Bricks Without Straw

Until the 19th century, explorers were the R&D leaders of the planet, finding new ways to exploit desired resources. The business developers of the day turned exploration into economic gain by funding better ships, with regular schedules. Ultimately, there was a consumer whose demand for goods supplied the reason for the huge expenses of energy and time by the few who were forging ahead.

A story in the paper on March 2 in the Philadelphia Inquirer (and carried by The Vancouver Sun) talks about the use of zinc fingers in experiments that for the first time demonstrate the technique of actual gene editing. Unlike genetic engineering that uses viruses to transmit new genetic material into the nucleus of a cell, zinc fingers are protein folds able to attach to specific genes, and make it possible to cut a DNA strand, insert or remove a single gene, then splice it together again. The report describes how nine HIV patients' T-cells were modified to eliminate a receptor that HIV requires to enter a cell, making those in the experiment invulnerable to the virus. The modified T-cells proliferate in the body. Research on zinc fingers has been going on for decades. Now, actual applications are being developed that use them. It doesn't take much to understand the implications. This is a remarkable advancement in genetic engineering for fighting diseases. It may not be...

In the recent weeks following my brother's death, I've had some pretty strange dreams, as one would expect, as well as some half-waking notions.