Florescence casts a new light

The ABCs of Biotech for Christians - Seventh in a series - F is for Florescence

The reason for this blog series is to take an alphabetic tour through biotech to explore whether God is OK with its techniques and accomplishments. We are trying to understand biotechnology in the light of Scripture.

Can a layperson understand complex scientific topics well enough to be able to consider whether they are agreeable for Christians? I hope that anything written here— if incorrect or far-fetched— will encourage comments which can be entered after login. I don’t want to be a Galileo basher but only a voice of warning as a Berean, believing that a layperson can form good opinions based on Bible truths, if the subject under study is understood.

Attempting this seems like a good quest. If we Christians wait too long to delve into these wells of underground blackness, perhaps what emerges will overwhelm our above ground places of respect for life— our homes, churches, governments.

In this post we will consider florescence.

Aequorea4.jpg
By Sierra Blakely, Attribution, Link
You can read a book about it here, but for us laypeople, suffice to say, jellyfish.

The Aequorea victoria pictured is a bioluminescent hydrozoan jellyfish that is found off the west coast of North America. (wikipedia) It is best known as the source of two proteins involved in bioluminescence, aequorin, a photoprotein, and green fluorescent protein (GFP). Their discoverers, Osamu Shimomura and colleagues, won the 2008 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their work on GFP.

Since 1994, GFP has been “a scientist’s agent” in the field of biotechnology, needing only oxygen and an energy source to function. It makes possible the investigation or monitoring of DNA, cells and organisms to determine all sorts of information relative to immunology, neurobiology, development and carcinogenesis.

Florescence microscopy permits the inspection of specific proteins inside living cells which is not possible with electron microscopy. There is also fluorescence spectroscopy which is useful to researchers and X-ray florescence.

There are currently clinical trials using florescence to discern aspects of early stage Alzheimers disease in people, the safety of immunotherapy in ovarian cancer patients, and other explorations.

Of course, it is one thing to view cells under a microscope using green florescent protein from a jellyfish to light up and differentiate the view, but it is another to inject that into a human so that noninvasive imaging can be done.

Some ethicists today approve of procedures that restore but do not augment humans. Healing but not eugenics is OK. Others would say we should always err on the side of caution. Even though the combining of jellyfish genes with human cells structures may make healing easier, there is a principle involved. What is in God’s mind regarding this procedure? I want to explore this principle further in future posts. Some say that this principle, that of adding genes from one species or kind to another whether in cells, plants or animals, is what defines the biotechnology industry.

It is possible to integrate jellyfish glow into other species in a “germ” or beginning phase of development, so that the cat or monkey (etc) is florescent. See a glow-in-the-dark cat here.

Scientific research must have limits. God is love yet he, like us, or we, like Him, have limits to our kindness and tolerance.

Electromagnetic wave radiation a burgeoning concern

The ABCs of Biotech for Christians - Sixth in a series - E is for EMW

What are the effects on human health of EMW exposure such as through computer use and cell phones? Scientific research has proven these:

  • Changes in cell proliferation and cycle
  • Changes in the blood-brain barrier that protects the brain from outside harmful chemicals and toxins
  • Alteration in EEG brain waves
  • DNA damage
  • Calcium efflux which causes cell membrane weakening leading to allergies
  • Decrease in eating and drinking, as exposure increases
  • Provocation of immune system— making the immune system react
  • Gender-related alterations on neural activity
  • Decrease in working memory function; spatial memory deficit
  • Reduced and irreversible fertility in women
  • Decreased sperm count, motility, viability and normal morphology (related to the forms of living things) in men

In short, some aspects of society’s current health snapshot— increasing allergies, lots of people with memory loss illnesses or just memory problems, numerous instances of fertility problems, and many cancers especially of the brain — are probably in part related to cell phone use and other devices that increase radiation in the environment.

Even ELF (extremely low frequency) devices, when used continually, and continuous exposure to ELF radiation such as through WIFI, can damage the immune system and lead to all sorts of health problems over the long term.

Scientists have warned about these things. A Resolution was published in their journals in 2006 following an International Commission for Electromagnetic Safety conference, that stated:

1. More evidence has accumulated suggesting that there are adverse health effects from occupational and public exposures to electric, magnetic and electromagnetic fields, or EMF, at current exposure levels. What is needed, but not yet realized, is a comprehensive, independent and transparent examination of the evidence pointing to this emerging, potential public health issue.
[Read more...]

Has this advice been heeded? Are we seeing more research on the dangers of EMW in the environment because of cell phones, smart meters, WIFI, cell towers, and their proliferation in our communities, homes, schools, businesses and even churches?

On March 15, 2018, 237 EMF scientists from 41 nations signed an Appeal, calling on the United Nations and its sub-organizations to provide greater health protection from EMF exposure.

Yet, there is thrust toward even greater EMW in the environment. Smart meters are urged by energy companies yet emit 100 times greater radiation than cell phones, or more. The IoT or Internet of Things such as watches, glasses and clothing that connect one to the internet, and the plan to have 5G cell networks with more towers for better coverage —no dropped calls, faster download speeds, large data broadcasting— mean that we are in for more EMW. Children are at greater risk because their bodies and nervous systems are developing and not strong, and parents have the very hard job of trying to protect them.

Biotech will be busy looking for ways to prevent allergies, infertility and Alzheimers, and the researchers must use the very devices that are causing the difficulties.

In all this, Biotech’s biggest role may be simply to sound the alarm, leading to political action for environmental protection for humans and all living things.

Angel fish
Public Domain, Link

...and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind ... the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind ...the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good. -Genesis 1

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A SistersSite eBook

Flesh and Bone and The Protestant Conscience is an e-book on Amazon.com. It is 99¢ and in the Amazon lending library as well. It is also available here in PDF format. The book description follows.

Would you let your conscience be your guide?

Does God care if the skin and bone of the dead are passed along to the living for medical uses? Is organ donation OK with God? Should you sign a Living Will?

Did you know that dead organ donors are often anesthetized before their organs are removed? Do you know the current definition of death? The conscience cannot function without facts.

As we ponder the ethics of in vitro fertilization, stem cell research and man-made chimeras, our thoughts trail off. How then should we live? (Ez 33:10)

How should a Christian think about euthanasia by starvation when doctors and the state attorney general all agree it is time to withhold feeding from a brain injured patient? Some things are family matters, but someday it may be our family.

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