7 March 2011 - It Came from Outer Space

I think when I expected to write a blog for Monday morning that more would have happened on the weekend.  So today we have an article about possible aliens in meteorites.  And by "aliens" I mean bacteria.  Still exciting, but uninterested in Reece's Pieces.

A fella from NASA with an extensive resume of poking bacteria (see article) cracked open a few meteorites and published his very interesting findings Friday.  That paper explained fossilized bacteria he had found inside that he believes originated off-planet.  Obviously this is causing a big stir and a lot of reviews, in addition to re-raising the argument on the origin of life and cells as we know them.  I will be excited to see how it turns out!  Numerous experts/professionals have been invited to review the paper, and I foresee a lot of passionate critiques in both directions.

Photo from article, copyright PNAS

-Miss Mouse



References and Links:
Aliens in Rocks
http://topicfire.com/share/News-Flash-NASA-Scientist-Solid-Evidence-of-ET-Fossil-Life-in-Meteorite-Fragment-16997301.html

6 March 2011 - Weekend Wrap-Up

Hey guys!  I gotta write this one REALLY fast.  I'm about to head out for an 8 hour drive, so it counts as a busy day!  :)  It's also shorter than it should be, I'm sorry.  I'm literally about to rush out the door!

Nifty Stories from This Week

I really like the mind-control, I mean memory enhancing or erasing, story from a couple of days ago and I'd love to highlight that one.  By controlling an enzyme in rat brains, one can either enhance or get completely rid of a memory, no matter how long it's been since that memory was initially formed.  This has the initially obvious uses like helping people with anxiety problems, recovered memories, loss of memory, etc., but if you ask me, points directly toward this:

Second for today is a particularly creepy article about four new species of fungus found in the Brazilian rainforest.  You know that parasite that gets into an ant's brain, makes it walk up to the top of a blade of grass, and forces it to wait there to be ingested?  This is kind of like that, except these fungi turn the ants into zombies, makes them crawl onto some kind of vegetation above the forest floor, locks their jaws onto the plant/thing, and sprouts out of the back of their neck to release spores that fly off into the sunset.  Holy ew.



Okay, I gotta run!!!  See you guys tomorrow!

-Miss Mouse



References and Links:
Memory Zapper:
http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-03-enzyme-erases-long-term-memories-rats.html
Zombie Ants:
http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-03-parasitic-fungi-ants-zombies.html

4 March 2011 - Making Blood Cells Too Hoss for HIV

Yesterday it was all about luring viruses into trap protocells.  Welp, today it's all about treating/preventing HIV infection by beefing up the blood cells.

Also it appears that while the metaphor for other viruses is apparently bees that can only sting you once, the metaphor for HIV is apparently a seemingly friendly Avon salesperson who asks to enter but is actually a vampire and rips your cell's head off.

The article for today explains that a new genetic treatment takes typically infected cells (juicy-looking unsuspecting citizens who open their doors at the stroke of midnight), and alters them so that the means by which HIV usually enters them is no longer available, via causing it to remove the gene for it (convinces said citizen to take down the whole door and build a wall where it used to be).  Then, when HIV comes a-knockin', it can't be let in.  Trials seem to be a success, with the cells multiplying in the body a year later (...then a whole neighborhood was built with no doors and the HIV vampire starved to death?).



Hey, this one-story-a-day thing and wrapup-on-the-weekend thing seems to be working out a lot better for me.  I'm even getting stories written early, and that's never happened before!  Let me know what you guys think!

-Miss Mouse



References and Links:
Beefy Blood Cells Keepin' Out HIV
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20928023.300-genetic-treatment-closes-door-on-hiv.html