January's SciDay!

I've got one day left to keep up my tradition of commenting on each month's scientific breakthroughs. Since I've been teaching all month for the Citizen Science Program at Bard College (an amazing experience by the way), I've had almost no time to catalog and write about some of this month's interesting research papers. So last night in a flurry of activity I found a few things of particular interest and which I'll quickly summarize below:

Last month I commented that some natural compounds had been found that inhibit the CRISPR/Cas9 immune system in some bacteria. This is of note because this may be a natural way to better control human genome editing initiatives using CRISPR technology. This month, researchers at the University of California in San Francisco have identified in the genomes of phages (viruses that infect and kill bacteria cells only) a new set of inhibitors that target the CRISPR/Cas9 system in the pathogenic bacteria that cause listeria. These newly identified inhibitors also prevent CRISPR from working properly in human cells, too. As an added bonus, the study of these new molecules may help researchers explore novel ways to kill bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics. I learned during my time teaching at Citizen Science that the use of phages was widespread during WWII in Russia and elsewhere in order to combat bacterial infections on the battlefield. Phages were used in lieu of antibiotics...which weren't always readily available. Dr. Paul Turner at Yale (who also spoke at Bard this month and got me thinking about this) studies the use of viruses as a way to combat bacterial infections, especially against antibiotic resistant bacteria. (*Check out this link if you want to know more about it!*)

In my mind it is conceivable to engineer new phage viruses, with the genes coding for CRISPR inhibitors genetically engineered into their genomes, to be used as a new generation of viral drugs targeting antibiotic resistant bacteria. These viruses would then be resistant to the defense system of those bacteria and may be better at killing them in humans with bacterial diseases. Lots to mull over, but I think this could be very promising and I'll keep an eye out for research about this (if it doesn't already exist).

Additionally, what's really exciting is that this week researchers in Israel identified a new communication system between phages that help the viruses decide, upon infection of a bacterial cell, if they will kill the bacteria fast or enter the bacterial genome and go into a quiet, inactive state (called lysogeny) and kill the bacteria later. This is an incredible discovery and indicates that viruses are yet again more complex than we thought and capable of very simple communication. It was found that the genomes of distinct viruses have unique genes that code for small peptides and these small peptides are the messengers in this communications system. Think of the peptides as little hormones that tell the viruses when and if to kill the bacteria cell immediately upon infection, or later.

This of course opens the door to looking for these types of messengers in viruses that infect humans, and if they are indeed present, this may open up an entirely new avenue to explore for anti-viral therapy to save human lives. Now, that's A LOT of if's, but I'm feeling positive today and I hope this becomes a major breakthrough in our understanding of viral infections.

Next month I'd like to discuss some new announcements in NASA's Twins Study results. This is a study that is comparing the genetics and physiology of two astronauts after one of them, Scott Kelly, spent almost a year in space while his identical twin brother, Mark, stayed back on Earth. Scientists and clinicians are trying to better understand how space affects the human body. It's awesome research, with some ethical considerations that I'll get into next month.

I'll leave you with this: The Art of Saving a Life. This is an initiative by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation that brought together artists, poets, writers, film makers, and others to promote vaccine awareness using art as a medium. There is some incredible and beautiful art on this website, including some very moving and powerful short films. I wanted to highlight this here as an example of how anyone can help promote the cause of science (not just scientists) as a tool to protect and help people, promote awareness on this issue and others, increase our knowledge of how the world works, and encourage and support informed government policy.

Until next time, Go Spurs!

My Belief in Science and Truth in the Era of Trump

It hurts my heart that the current administration is engaging in deceit, falsehoods, and inaccuracy…and it is not even a week into the current changes. I work for the United States government and already many like-minded individuals and scientists are under governmental restriction to remain silent about simple facts of our world. I am fortunate to remain mostly outside of those restrictions…at the moment.

This form of silencing is reminiscent of governments in countries that rule by fear, devalue free thinking, and fuel propaganda. As a scientist and employee of the National Institutes of Health, I feel it is my duty to provide the most accurate truth that is available in the effort to educate and protect those that rely on accurate health information and fact…particularly those groups that are underrepresented in science.

Perhaps I’m looking at the dark side of the moon; perhaps I am overreacting. Both are possible, I’ll admit. But I promise to myself and my family and friends and to everyone else that I will not allow myself to be subjected to falsehood and the belief that there are ‘alternative’ truths to basic facts and truth. I feel incredibly passionate about this and I will not be dissuaded from engaging anyone, on either side of the aisle, from a productive discussion about these principles so long as people are willing to acknowledge that there is a reality to our world that can be defined in a reasonable way. This is dramatic maybe, but I feel this is imperative to define for myself and those I know as our country moves forward.