New Annotated Sources!

This past.. day actually, my fantastic group of four (Diana, Luke, Paul and I) met for the first time to really pan out our ideas for our senior project. Keeping an eye on the medical field of study and sciences has been really important to me so far in this class because I want to be able to use everything I learn in a way that will benefit me for the rest of my life. By that I mean I want to learn Environmental Science in a way that will make me a much better and more well rounded person, so I have been trying to attach it to things I am already really passionate about. Ok this is coming out wrong but moving on... I am letting go of my absolute NEED to have my senior project and research paper be ONLY about medicine, instead I am going to integrate the information I learned about the bacteria evolution and anti-biotic resistance and put it toward our video's new theme of a bacteria that solves the world's energy and oxygen needs (complete details on what this magnificent bacteria are still to be determined.)

Finding information has definitely been a problem since we clarified our ideas yesterday at lunch and I did my other citations for my previous idea Tuesday. With that stated please bear with me as I am using sources more to form ideas and learn current processes than directly support that our society is heading in this bacterial energy direction. I am also still a bit stuck in my ways with the medicine web sites, they just seem to have all the good articles.


Article 1: Engineering hybrid genes without the use of restriction enzymes: gene splicing by overlap extension.

"Gene splicing by overlap extension is a new approach for recombining DNA molecules at precise junctions..."

"Extension of this overlap by DNA polymerase produces a molecule in which the original sequences are 'spliced' together."

"This technique is used to construct a gene encoding a mosaic fusion protein comprised of parts of two different class-I major histocompatibility genes."

Annotations:
This article is really informative about the exact process of gene splicing, which is when then genetically engineer DNA by adding, subtracting or mutating the DNA. This article was really really helpful in the way of showing me what professional scientists in industry do to splice and what they are doing it for. Our video is going to be a commercial glorifying the new genetically engineered bacteria in a similar fashion to how petroleum and tobacco companies advertise their projects and do 'damage control' when people are opposing them, so we are considering having small sections of scientists actually creating the bacteria. I think it's taking science a little too far when they start to create their own creatures and things but I think that will add to the satirical aspect of our video. Plus who really cares about the well being of bacteria? (Rhetorical question) That could be another part to our video.

Citation:
Horton, R. M. "Engineering hybrid genes without the use of restriction enzymes: gene splicing by overlap extension." Engineering hybrid genes without the use of restriction enzymes: gene splicing by overlap extension. (1989). Pub Med Centeral. 1989. Web. 26 Feb. 2010. .

*another source I will be using for learning about gene/DNA reading, splicing, mapping, etc. will be the Human Genome Project


Article 2: Principles of Gene Manipulation. An Introduction to Genetic Engineering

"Genetic manipulation or genetic engineering is a technology which is becoming widely used in biological research and industry. It has therefore become difficult for scientists not directly involved in the field to keep pace with the literature.

"Other worthwhile contributions are on sickle cell disease, cystinosis, and the muco-
polysaccharidoses, by Lehmann, Schulman, and Leroy, respectively.

"..expression of cloned DNA sequences is also covered in this book and the development of vectors resulting in enhanced expression and in the production of proteins from cloned sequences are described with examples."

Annotations:
So this source is actually from a peer-reviewed text book type thing for a college course. It is a dated piece of work but now that I realize that maybe college textbooks or lesson plans could be really helpful, I am much more confident in my ability to get my hands on real solid evidence and thoughtful writings about the practices of gene splicing and genetic engineering. These materials may also give me a feel for the past's projections for today's science ability so I can make reasonably ridiculous expectations for our bacteria that could possibly be believable to scientist today. Only if we go that route though. I did realize that going the text book route could be either just as or more dry than reading journal articles... both are peer reviewed though! At this point I think that the science part from here on out could possibly be an easier part for me since I am genuinely interested in genetic engineering. It could also be interesting to explore the ethics side... but I guess I really need to do some more serious planning and idea consolidating sessions with my whole group specifically about what we are wanting out bacteria to DO. I think our project will be great because we have a topic that we can theoretically get small hints of all four of our initial researched topics in.



Citation:
Generet, Med J. "Principles of Gene Manipulation. An Introduction to Genetic Engineering." Principles of Gene Manipulation. An Introduction to Genetic Engineering (1981). Pub Med Centeral. 18 Apr. 1981. Web. 26 Feb. 2010. .


If I am late tomorrow John I am so sorry. I was having the darndest time deciding on sources, ideas and really trying to make these annotated sources effective no matter what. I will most likely be there on time. GOODNIGHT