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Mars_B4_Moon

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Registered: 2006-03-23

Posts: 9,195

Genetically cloning a Beast of Burden..ethical & moral implications?

I guess this topic could be under science or life on Mars but since I'm talking about Creating a workhorse for Mars or Beast of Burden for a potential colony some time in the future I will post the topic here. Sending human, robot, plant and sending any type of animal creature to Mars is already going to be one of the greatest 'experiments' of all time, could that space animal be used on another planet to work and transport?

Selective breeding and genetic engineering is already here in our world, it is now in the plants and food of Earth. Some civilization of people have farmed for thousands of years, Humans in our old earth have been modifying crops’ genomes since the Neolithic era, old mankind cultures selecting for the random mutations that were most beneficial to us. However, until the last century, our ability to perform genetic editing was limited to the emergence of spontaneous mutations. Some health companies now produce pills, drinks, powders, tablets and medicine from plants as biofactories to obtain biomolecules used in pharmaceuticals, medicine, and cosmetics, animals are also studied as Guinea Pigs or LabRats for testing. Not many are doing genetic DNA manipulation of animals and even agricultural biotechnology has also been conducted as an elitist technology, high level science and very expensive, an area of elite science and business made evident by the small number of companies that concentrate looking at plant and seed but what happens when bugs and animals are looked at for going to Mars? There might also be the possibility a company would make a mistake overlooking the nature of an animal, you could almost engineer the perfect animal to last and almost survive in the harsh climate of Mars but the creature would become useless, troublesome and uncooperative because of something like animal 'temperament'. 

A Beast of Burden is simply a Working Animal used by old civilizations, a work animal that makes Life Easier for Humans, they transported people on our Planet, then we watched them race in game and sports for entertainment. On Earth birds sent messages, Asian elephants lift things, insects like bees helped keep farms and trees and fruit health, working dogs moved sheep and protected sheep they could sniff for drugs and bombs they now are even trained to detect Corona, catch people with Covid virus, some animals had uses for meat, hides and wool, types of ox or donkeys used to transport and push or pull farm equipment.

Among the insect world you have different kinds of bees, some work better altitudes, some do not know how to hibernate in winter and would die off in colds because of the breeding, some types of Bees are highly aggressive, with the bee you also risk the possibility of some humans having reactions, Anaphylaxis is a serious allergic reaction. A type of Brazil Bee or Indian Beein a Hindu region might be the easiest and Best Bee Species to Domesticate and use in that region but with less sunlight in the Colds of Mars maybe they will all be dead soon, a mission of millions upon billions of bucks wasted, even some of the best race of bees the best ethnically breed worker honey bee can still suffer from a random colony collapse disorder, the bee might be weak against chemicals or pesticide toxicity. some live 2 years, some live five years, the Germanic line of queen can live up to eight years both the Western European Honey Bee and the Eastern Honey Bee have evolved to store up for the long winters, the Asian stored a third of its nectar, the European breeds sometimes putting even more honey into store and going into a kind of cold hibernation they form a 'Winter Cluster' they make a ball and huddle as temperature dips below 10 to 14 °C (50 to 57 F), there are also Sting-less Bees but farmers see them more like flies, few of them Stingless Bees will produce honey on a scale such that they are ever farmed by humans on Earth. sometimes Bees were specifically imported from one region of our planet to another, Russian honeybee taken to the United States after a sudden reduction in Bee populations, the Russian Bee increased numbers but Russian queens openly mated with drones from various stock sometimes causing increased aggressiveness. Some African bees in the USA were lazy in work ethic but highly aggressive, these new mongrel cross breeds they became know in the news media as pests and killer bee’s,  this painin-theass killer Bee was first introduced to Brazil in 1956 in an effort to increase honey production, but 26 swarms escaped quarantine in 1957 they are extra aggressive to people and a threat to outdoor pets, especially mammals.  Bees are found on every continent on our planet almost on every island in our planet, except for Antarctica the only place the weather is finally too extreme for the bee, if an extreme plant/flower managed to live at the South Pole would a tough extreme bee follow? The bee is not just for honey it has been used for wax for use in making candles, soap. There are many types Solitary and Communal bees, Australia alone has over 1,700 species of native bee. The Bee Colony themselves on Earth have their problem of disease, Bumblebee on Earth has Predators, parasites, and pathogens, will Mars need robotic Veterinarians or have the medicines to cure its sick animals and help a sick bee colony working on a farm inside a Mars biosphere? The Cold of Canada, Russia and Europe there is sometimes a Relationship between Caribou and Indigenous People and other Animal and Sámi, Native Alaskan, Siberian, Chukchi, Inuit, Aluet, Yukon and Eskimo peoples, animal and people that helped each other survive the extremes maybe the colonists will migrant with their animals alongside the Mars season moving from one Biosphere to another BioDome, moving with special Mars Reindeer to another colony in another Biosphere as the seasons change?

Whatever creature you bring to Mars may not do exactly what was planned. The new Mars creature might suddenly decide to do its own thing because of the unforeseen effects from a new world, new gravity, new atmosphere, Charles Darwin seen how birds that were flying suddenly didnt fly or that flightless bugs develop, the study of Flightless Galapagos Cormorant, new 'decapod crustaceans' or Crab evolved on island eco-systems, new Lizard, highly unusual fauna there. Your animal might jump instead of swim, it might hop instead of run, it might behave much differently than expected. Pigeons died in space because they can not swallow, since most birds swallow water by tilting their heads back and using gravity to let the water run down their throats, they would dehydrate in space. Insects were unable to fly normally and tumbled almost random in weightlessness, Spiders would build strange webs, the Cat tumbled and flipped rapidly on Vomit Comet still doing its best to land on its feet, Rabbits, they tested  Cats, Dogs and Chimps they seem to have returned to Earth and bred and reproduced healthy after journeys into space. Maybe rather than putting big creatures on Mars small creatures could be first used to work for the colony. The tiny little micro animals the water bears or moss piglets aka tardigrades are one of our world's toughest and known to be capable of surviving in space, rather than go big why not start small, is there a use for a creature like this in a new Mars Biosphere? Humans themselves evolved to have their own unique genetic variations and genome adaptions that allowed cities of the Andeans Himalayas other people from the outside would suffer altitude sickness, babies would be lost by foreigners who moved in and suffering of miscarriage. If people have trouble living and surviving in our extremes of Earth then what of our animals, in the cold regions of the Poles, in the high altitude towns of Bolivia, China, India, Peru? What kind of Animals survive and thrive in our extremes on planet Earth, what kind of creature might be used, might be breed or engineered in a town or colony on another planet?

Let's look at Man's best friend - 'Dogs' have been used to retrieve, to assist with gathering by finding valuable products, such as truffles a very expensive subterranean fungus, could the Dog help with a food hunt on a Mars Biosphere and reduce work load? the truffle species are highly prized as food in places like France, a type of hog or pig could also be used and trained to find the food. Animals helping Truffle Hunts during Season?
https://secure.westernaustralia.com/en/ … ffles.aspx
Bio Engineering is becoming a real thing, we also have already modified humans mechanically, artificial organs, new limbs, cyborg concepts, bionics etc. Selective breeding of new types of animals has been a thing for centuries and on Earth we have animals that operate at extremes the Emperor Penguin lives inside the Cold Extremes of Antarctica , the highest temperature ever recorded on Antarctica was 20.75 °C (69.3 °F) ...about the same as good day on Mars....The lowest temperature ever directly recorded on Earth again the South Pole is −89.2 °C (−128.6 °F; 184.0 K)...about the same as a bad cold day on Mars.... On Earth we have creatures that go to altitude extremes, the Alpine Birds, certain type migratory Geese can fly over thin air Mt Everest, the Polar bear Tiger and Husky Dog Hair have fur could hold secret to ultrathin insulation in the Cold Extremes.

Once an eco-system is established there is the danger of introducing a new animal or plant that will wreck the established eco-system, a cat is good if you have a rodent problem but the Cats have a notoriously difficult temperament. Domestic Cats were brought into Australia's natural eco-system and are now a pest animal because they hunt and prey on native species. Even the small Cats highly efficient killers, they are one of the primary causes of the decline and extinction of many Australian native creatures, disrupting the natural Aussie eco-system, Australia now has a long long list of invasive fungi, plant, animal and bacteria doing damage in Australia. Americas via Hawaii introduced a dangerous Frog to the Aussie eco-system, the Dangerous Frog became a Prolific breeder and its bufotoxin kills native animals. Pigs, Ostrich and Camel went wild when they were introduced to Aus, they became alien invader breeders that destroyed land and have the potential to spread disease.

If a local Martian eco-system is established new robots might be needed to guard the welfare of the old plant, insect and animals, people will have to be careful of their plant and animal in the new Martian eco-system. Will you introduce a bird to eat the troublesome insect, then a cat to eat the bird? Mars kids might sing their own verison of that English American Canadian chidlrens song...'I don't know why she swallowed a fly. Poor old lady, I think she'll die. Poor old lady, she swallowed a dog. She went the whole hog when she swallowed the dog.' The plant and animals for Mars will probably first need to be tested on some kind of biosphere on Earth.

What would you breed or engineer for Mars, what animals would you chose? It will be a difficult and experimental system to choose, back on Earth in the high colds, the Birds are more impressive at these heights alpine chough breeds in these hostile elevations.
Once you put a new plant or animal on Mars then Mars itself might breed its own extremophile life?
https://www.britannica.com/science/extremophile
After a while something with help could evolve to live in a place where we considered not habitable.

Fish have also adopted to colds and altitudes. There are high altitude fish in cold parts of China, inside alkaline salt lake that use their own natural evolution of gill re-modeling to increase oxygen uptake, a type of rodent called 'deer mice' developed evolution mechanisms that would help them survive these cold high altitude harsh conditions. Some mammals such as yak a type of cattle, ibex a type of wild mountain goat, the llamas of South America, Rocky mountain goats has easily live and survive at ranges where other animals die. Hopefully the dust and radiation problem would be solved for both human and creature and the animal would be inside a closed eco system, the atmosphere of Mars even inside some deep pressure of Valles Marineris will probably still be no more than a fifth of Earth. Unless the creature is inside a Dome or Biosphere it will become more complicated and the creature will have to be given some kind of suit or breathing apparatus. Putting the wrong animal in planet or creature to an eco-system may have human health-related damages, such as causing allergies and spreading disease, if things really go wrong there could be social or economic damages on Mars, such as reducing crop yields in a Mars colony or destroying human-built infrastructure. There will be great benefits and potential harms with breeding the new life for Mars new harms and benefits of frankenstein style genetic engineering.

Last edited by Mars_B4_Moon (2021-05-31 07:39:23)

Mars_B4_Moon

Member

Registered: 2006-03-23

Posts: 9,195

Re: Genetically cloning a Beast of Burden..ethical & moral implications?

Laika was the first trained creature on Earth put on an Orbiting Rocket and blasted into space.

That ill-fated mission resulted in Laika overheating and dying five hours into the flight.

Would Russia or some group ever put a Chimp on Mars? Would NASA or China ever put Bees in some Bio-Dome on the Moon?
What if the first 'person' on Mars was a monkey? Seems ridiculous, all that stuff ended in the 1950s and 60s or did it? Bonzo is a monkey actor, known for Bedtime for Bonzo (1951) and The Colgate Comedy Hour he started in Hollywood movies with a future US President, in the movie Reagan tried to morals to a chimpanzee. Away from Hollyweird and back to reality? US, European and Russian space agencies have considered testing the effect on monkeys before sending humans to Mars. Boris Lapin, director of the Sochi Institute of Medical Primatology, said monkeys and humans “have approximately identical sensitivity to small and large radiation doses”.
“It is better to experiment on the macaques, but not on dogs or other animals,” he said.

"Félicette, the First Cat in Space, Finally Gets a Memorial"
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-ne … 180974062/

10 animals that have been to space
https://www.discoverwildlife.com/animal … -in-space/

NASA History Website - A Brief History of Animals in Space
https://www.history.nasa.gov/printFriendly/animals.html

Before humans actually went into space, one of the prevailing theories of the perils of space flight was that humans might not be able to survive long periods of weightlessness. For several years, there had been a serious debate among scientists about the effects of prolonged weightlessness. American and Russian scientists utilized animals - mainly monkeys, chimps and dogs - in order to test each country's ability to launch a living organism into space and bring it back alive and unharmed.

Over the past 50 years, American and Soviet scientists have utilized the animal world for testing. Despite losses, these animals have taught the scientists a tremendous amount more than could have been learned without them. Without animal testing in the early days of the human space program, the Soviet and American programs could have suffered great losses of human life. These animals performed a service to their respective countries that no human could or would have performed. They gave their lives and/or their service in the name of technological advancement, paving the way for humanity's many forays into space.

Behavioral sink: How 1960s Mouse Utopias Led to Grim Predictions for Future of Humanity.
https://grittechnologies.com/archives/b … -humanity/
The “Universe 25″ experiment it is one of the most terrifying experiments in the history of science, which, through the behavior of a colony of mice, is an attempt by scientists to explain human societies.

What do Honey Bees do in the Winter?
https://desertswarmbees.com/what-do-hon … he-winter/

What do bees do in the winter?
https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/blog/wha … -do-winter

Animals and Life provide psychiatric assistance? Service Dogs Have Emotional and Psychological Benefits
https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/news/ … -benefits/
10 Ways Pets Support Mental Health
https://www.newportacademy.com/resource … al-health/
Mental Health Benefits Of Emotional Support Animals
https://kentuckycounselingcenter.com/me … t-animals/

Bees, Please: Stop Dying in Your Martian Simulator
https://www.wired.com/
Future space colonists will need pollinators to grow food on the moon and Mars. But first scientists need to figure out how to keep them alive.

One of the world’s newest space analogs is inside a white ziggurat on top of a former nuclear bunker in Pila, Poland. Known as the Lunares Research Station, this privately funded facility simulates what it’s like to live and work at a base on the moon or Mars, but it doesn’t only work with humans. In a recent experiment, the potential space cadets were 90,000 bees who were sent in to learn what it's like to buzz around the red planet.

“Around 1,000 to 1,200 bees died every four days,” Wasniowski says. “It was almost a little scary because you don’t see this in nature, but in isolation the dead bees covered the floor.”
In a normal, garden-variety hive, it’s not unusual for hundreds of bees to die per day. A honeybee queen can produce well over a thousand offspring per day, more than enough to replenish the dead. But Wasniowski and his colleagues found that the hive also stopped reproducing. The hive’s temperature then dropped as a result, which killed yet more bees.

Mini Horse Haying - Small Farmer's Journal
https://www.pinterest.es/pin/387872586638800761/
Small animals for small farm plowing, discussion.
https://permies.com/t/30565/Small-anima … rm-plowing

Laika the Dog & the First Animals in Space
https://www.space.com/17764-laika-first … space.html
The Soviet Union stunned the world on Nov. 3, 1957, with the launch of Sputnik 2. On board the small satellite was a little dog, Laika, the first animal to orbit Earth. However, Laika was not the first animal in space. The United States and the U.S.S.R. had been putting animals atop rockets since 1947.

In the early days of rocket science, no one knew what the effects of weightlessness would be. Animals — mainly dogs, monkeys and chimps — were used to test the safety and feasibility of launching a living being into space and bringing it back unharmed.

Since then, animals have continued to play an important role in understanding the impact of microgravity on many biological functions. Astronauts have studied all kinds of animals — wasps, beetles, tortoises, flies, worms, fish, spiders, rabbits, bees, ants, frogs, mice, crickets, rats, newts, snails, urchins, moths, brine shrimp, jellyfish, guinea pigs, butterflies, scorpions and cockroaches.

' Microscopic creatures commonly known as water bears (tardigrades) survived a 10-day exposure to open space. The creatures are known to have the ability to withstand extreme conditions, including dehydration, and still recover and reproduce. The animals were dried out and re-hydrated after surviving cosmic rays, a near vacuum, and freezing temperatures.'

' Healthy mouse babies arose from mice sperm hosted on the ISS for nearly 300 days in 2013-14, suggesting that sperm for other species could be hosted off-Earth in case of catastrophe.'

'Russia launched the Bion-M1 space capsule for a month in space to study gerbils, geckos, mice and other creatures. Upon landing, officials discovered that half of the mice and all of the gerbils died during the flight due to technical issues in their food supply and shelter.'

Last edited by Mars_B4_Moon (2021-06-01 10:12:29)

SpaceNut

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From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 28,832

Re: Genetically cloning a Beast of Burden..ethical & moral implications?

I had the choice of Life support systems: The problems of producing food, air and water on Mars or of Science, Technology, and Astronomy:
It doesn't have to be about Mars!

And after a bit its now in life support....

Mars_B4_Moon

Member

Registered: 2006-03-23

Posts: 9,195

Re: Genetically cloning a Beast of Burden..ethical & moral implications?

A gene-edited pigs heart has been transplanted into a human for the first time
https://www.technologyreview.com/2022/0 … ransplant/
The procedure is a one-off, and highly experimental, but the technique could help reduce transplant waiting lists

Guy Receives a Heart From a Genetically Altered Pig he had a life-threatening heart disease has received a heart from a genetically modified pig

First transplant of a genetically altered pig heart into a person sparks ethics questions
https://www.statnews.com/2022/01/10/fir … questions/

It’s also renewing a debate about pigs and other animals as the source of human organs. Animal rights activists have condemned the surgery as dangerous and unethical

A medical team at the University of Maryland Medical Center announced Monday that it had accomplished a world-first: its surgeons had transplanted a heart from a genetically engineered pig into a human.

Bennett had terminal heart failure and was too sick to qualify for a human heart transplant or a mechanical assist device, the lead surgeon said.

'A few hours before the surgery began, surgeons removed the heart from the pig and placed it in a perfusion box - a mechanical device that pushed fluid through the organ to keep it preserved until the surgical team, led by Bartley Griffith, director of the cardiac transplant program at the medical center, could settle it into their patient's open chest.'

Man receives first successful transplant of genetically-modified pig heart into human body
https://www.joe.co.uk/news/man-receives … ody-310723
Doctors involved hope that this can lead the way to more procedures like this, helping deal with the organ shortage crisis

Last edited by Mars_B4_Moon (2022-01-11 06:24:00)

Mars_B4_Moon

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Registered: 2006-03-23

Posts: 9,195

Re: Genetically cloning a Beast of Burden..ethical & moral implications?

The sobering reality of de-extinction (cloning extinct animals) efforts

https://www.quantamagazine.org/why-de-e … -20220509/

Not easy almost impossible?

DNA degrades quickly, having a half life of around 521 years.  DNA also gets fragmented. Getting DNA in the right order is vital in cloning. Even slight alterations can lead to significant differences. Just a few percent off and you could have a different species from the one you started with.

Mars_B4_Moon

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Registered: 2006-03-23

Posts: 9,195

Re: Genetically cloning a Beast of Burden..ethical & moral implications?

Scientists 'really surprised' after gene-editing experiment unexpectedly turn hamsters into hyper-aggressive bullies

https://news.gsu.edu/2022/05/13/georgia … f-animals/

" The new study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), finds that knocking out the Avpr1a receptor in hamsters, and thus effectively eliminating vasopressin’s action on it, dramatically altered the expression of social behavior in unexpected ways.

“We were really surprised at the results,” Albers said. “We anticipated that if we eliminated vasopressin activity, we would reduce both aggression and social communication. But the opposite happened.”

Are robot beekeepers the secret to saving the vital pollinators?

https://www.euronews.com/green/2022/05/ … ollinators
"Sometimes a beekeeper takes several months to realise a problem. With the robot, it can deal with the problem in real time, this reduces the mortality of the bees."

Ancient forest discovered in China — in the bottom of a sinkhole. Explorer says caves could be home to species 'that have never been reported or described by science until now'
https://nationalpost.com/news/world/anc … a-sinkhole

Mars_B4_Moon

Member

Registered: 2006-03-23

Posts: 9,195

Re: Genetically cloning a Beast of Burden..ethical & moral implications?

An extinct rat shows CRISPR’s limits for resurrecting species
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/cri … ne-editing

Scientists Want To Open 830-Million-Year-Old Crystal With Potential Life Inside
https://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-a … fe-inside/

Plastic-eating Enzyme Could Eliminate Billions of Tons of Landfill Waste (
https://news.utexas.edu/2022/04/27/plas … ill-waste/

So far we have Flavobacterium, marine microbes, soil bacteria, Ideonella sakainesis, Phanerochaete chrysosporium, Plastic Eating Worms, Pseudomonas putida, Pestalotiopsis microspora, Schizophyllum, Pleurotus ostreatus and Sphingomonas macrogoltabidus

A ‘mystery monkey’ in Borneo may be a rare hybrid. That has scientists worried
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/mys … eo-habitat

Mars_B4_Moon

Member

Registered: 2006-03-23

Posts: 9,195

Re: Genetically cloning a Beast of Burden..ethical & moral implications?

Scientists Used CRISPR to Trace Every Human Gene to Its Function
https://singularityhub.com/2022/06/20/s … -function/
Changing gene expression in over 2.5 million human cells

some other political discussions on the human identity 'Long-term irrelevance of human colonization' https://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?id=1941 
Biological Engineering - "Biogenned" children on Mars?
https://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?id=182
Genetic Engineering on Martian crops https://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?id=8796 Propitiation to the God of War https://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?id=3659 The Trans-Life Experiment - What do you expect the result to be? https://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?id=40  The Evolution of Evolution https://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?id=3735
Protein Sources in First Colonies - An idea https://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?id=294

Mars_B4_Moon

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Registered: 2006-03-23

Posts: 9,195

Re: Genetically cloning a Beast of Burden..ethical & moral implications?

Researchers Create Cyborg Insect Brains From Grasshoppers That can Smell Cancer

https://science-news.co/researchers-cre … ll-cancer/

Mars_B4_Moon

Member

Registered: 2006-03-23

Posts: 9,195

Re: Genetically cloning a Beast of Burden..ethical & moral implications?

Cloned Livestock?

Animals Have Been Cloned From Freeze-Dried Skin Cells in a Scientific First
https://www.thesciverse.com/2022/07/ani … reeze.html

old new mars discussion
planetary greenhouse - orbiting planet structure
https://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?id=344

Mars_B4_Moon

Member

Registered: 2006-03-23

Posts: 9,195

Re: Genetically cloning a Beast of Burden..ethical & moral implications?

Two More Gene-Edited Pig Hearts Were Just Successfully Transplanted Into Humans

https://www.science-articles.com/2022/0 … -were.html

The second significant advancement in pig-human heart xenotransplantation this year occurred with the successful implantation of two genetically altered pig hearts into humans.

Last edited by Mars_B4_Moon (2022-07-13 15:53:17)

Mars_B4_Moon

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Registered: 2006-03-23

Posts: 9,195

Re: Genetically cloning a Beast of Burden..ethical & moral implications?

Gene-edited dogs created from cloned skin cells for the first time. The new gene-editing approach could be used to eliminate disease-causing mutations from pedigree dog breeds or even from clones of individual dogs.

https://www.newscientist.com/article/23 … irst-time/

Mars_B4_Moon

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Registered: 2006-03-23

Posts: 9,195

Re: Genetically cloning a Beast of Burden..ethical & moral implications?

A species-specific lncRNA modulates the reproductive ability of the asian tiger mosquito

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10 … 85767/full

New DNA ‘Camcorders’ Can Record ‘Movies’ of a Cell’s Development Through Time

https://singularityhub.com/2022/08/02/s … c-history/

Can the extinct Tasmanian tiger return? Genetic engineers hope so

https://www.fox13news.com/news/can-the- … rs-hope-so

Mars_B4_Moon

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Registered: 2006-03-23

Posts: 9,195

Re: Genetically cloning a Beast of Burden..ethical & moral implications?

The Replicant is here?

Scientists create 'synthetic' mouse embryos that went on to develop a brain, nerve cord and beating heart tissue
https://news.sky.com/story/scientists-c … e-12681284

Mars_B4_Moon

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Registered: 2006-03-23

Posts: 9,195

Re: Genetically cloning a Beast of Burden..ethical & moral implications?

Corneas made from pig collagen return sight to 20 people

https://english.elpais.com/science-tech … eople.html

Corneal blindness occurs when the transparent membrane that covers the front of the eye and acts as a lens becomes opaque and prevents the light from reaching the back of the eye, inhibiting vision. It can be solved with a transplant, but experts estimate that 12.7 million people are currently waiting for a cornea donation.

These membranes are in short supply: for every 70 that are needed, only one is available.

In view of this problem, especially in countries where there are fewer donations of human corneas due to limited infrastructure, a group of Swedish researchers tested corneas made from pig skin collagen in 20 people who needed transplants (all of them Iranian or Indian citizens; 14 of them were blind).

After two years, they all showed improvement, and those who were blind could see again. Although more complex clinical trials are still necessary to validate the measure, the first test of this bioengineered corneal tissue has proven to be safe. The results of this pilot study were published in the Nature Biotechnology journal.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41587-022-01408-w

Some issues Astronauts might face from the space medicine thread

NASA and the National Space Biomedical Research Institute have published a new research paper detailing how space flight affects “cardiovascular, immunological, sensorimotor, musculoskeletal, reproductive and behavioural implications” on men and women. Here are the highlights.

            Orthostatic Intolerance, or the inability to stand without fainting for protracted periods, is more prevalent upon landing in female astronauts than in their male counterparts. One possible reason for this observed difference in orthostatic intolerance between the sexes is reduced leg vascular compliance, which was demonstrated in bed-rest studies — which is a ground analogue for spaceflight.
            Women have greater loss of blood plasma volume than men during spaceflight, and women’s stress response characteristically includes a heart rate increase while men respond with an increase in vascular resistance. Still, these Earth observations require further study in space.
            The VIIP syndrome (visual impairment / intracranial pressure) manifests with anatomical ocular changes, ranging from mild to clinically significant, with a range of corresponding changes in visual function. Currently 82% of male astronauts vs. 62% of women astronauts (who have flown in space) are affected. However, all clinically significant cases so far have occurred in male astronauts.
            Changes in function and concentration of key constituents of the immune system related to spaceflight have been reported. However, differences between male and female immune responses have not been observed in space. On the ground, women mount a more potent immune response than men, which makes them more resistant to viral and bacterial infections; once infected, women mount an even more potent response. This response, however, makes women more susceptible to autoimmune diseases. It is not clear if these changes on the ground will occur during longer space missions, or missions that involve planetary exploration (exposure to gravity).
            Radiation presents a major hazard for space travel. It has been reported that female subjects are more susceptible to radiation-induced cancer than their male counterparts; hence radiation permissible exposure levels are lower for women than men astronauts.
            Upon transition to microgravity after arriving at the International Space Station (ISS), female astronauts reported a slightly higher incidence of space motion sickness (SMS) compared with men. Conversely, more men experience motion-sickness symptoms upon return to Earth. These data were however not statistically significant, due both to the relatively small sample sizes and small differences in the incidence of SMS reported by the men and women astronauts.
            Hearing sensitivity, when measured at several frequencies, declines with age much more rapidly in male astronauts than it does in female astronauts. No evidence suggests that the sex-based hearing differences in the astronaut population are related to microgravity exposure.
            The human musculoskeletal response to gravity unloading is highly variable among individuals and a sex-based difference was not observed.
            Urinary tract infections in space are more common in women and have been successfully treated with antibiotics.
            There is no evidence of sex differences in terms of behavioural or psychological responses to spaceflight. Analysis of ISS astronauts’ neurobehavioral performance and sleep measures showed no sex or gender differences using the Psychomotor Vigilance Test (PVT) of alertness and Visual Analogue Scales of workload, stress, and sleep quality. Since all all astronaut candidates undergo a robust process of psychological screening and selection, the likelihood of an adverse behavioural health condition or psychiatric disorder is greatly diminished.

In regard to mental health and depression it was discussed in other threads how 'Pets' can have a positive impact on the health of people.

some older discussions
Robotic Pets? - Could they substitute for the real thing
https://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?id=119
Swine
https://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?id=7367

Last edited by Mars_B4_Moon (2022-08-26 09:54:42)

Mars_B4_Moon

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Registered: 2006-03-23

Posts: 9,195

Re: Genetically cloning a Beast of Burden..ethical & moral implications?

Chinese scientists claim to have engineered the world's first mouse with fully reprogrammed genes
https://interestingengineering.com/scie … scientists

Mars_B4_Moon

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Registered: 2006-03-23

Posts: 9,195

Re: Genetically cloning a Beast of Burden..ethical & moral implications?

Electric Fish Genomes Reveal How Evolution Repeats Itself

https://www.quantamagazine.org/electric … -20220822/?

Yale Study Suggests That Evolution Can Be Predicted

https://scitechdaily.com/yale-study-sug … predicted/

Mars_B4_Moon

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Registered: 2006-03-23

Posts: 9,195

Re: Genetically cloning a Beast of Burden..ethical & moral implications?

Researchers have discovered a gene that increases muscle strength when activated by exercise, opening the door to the creation of therapeutic treatments that replicate some of the benefits of working out

https://scitechdaily.com/researchers-di … -stronger/

'Regulatory changes needed for gene-edited animals'

https://www.beefmagazine.com/regulatory … ed-animals

Mars_B4_Moon

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Registered: 2006-03-23

Posts: 9,195

Re: Genetically cloning a Beast of Burden..ethical & moral implications?

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats is a family of DNA sequences found in the genomes of prokaryotic organisms such as bacteria and archaea.

Cas9 or "CRISPR-associated protein 9" is an enzyme that uses CRISPR sequences as a guide to recognize and cleave specific strands of DNA that are complementary to the CRISPR sequence.

CRISPR-Cas9 successfully reverses type 2 diabetes in mice
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20190 … -mice.aspx

Making Genetic Engineering at the Chromosome Level Possible
https://www.labroots.com/trending/cell- … some-level

New approach more than doubles stem cell editing efficiency
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2 … 172233.htm

A Penn State-led team of interdisciplinary researchers has developed techniques to improve the efficiency of CRISPR-Cas9, the genome editing technique that earned the Nobel Prize in 2020. While CRISPR-Cas9 is faster, less expensive and more accurate than other gene-editing methods, according to project leader Xiaojun "Lance" Lian, associate professor of biomedical engineering and biology at Penn State, the technology has limitations -- especially in applications to improve human health.

The researchers developed a more efficient and accessible process to apply CRISPR-Cas9 systems in human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), derived from federally approved stem cell lines, which Lian said could greatly advance diagnostics and treatments for genetic disorders. The approach was published Sept. 7 in Cell Reports Methods.

CRISPR-Cas9, which stands for clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats and CRISPR-associated protein 9, gives scientists the ability to target precise locations of genetic code to change DNA, providing opportunities to create new diagnostic tools and potentially correct mutations to treat genetic causes of disease.

"The human genome is enormous, and CRISPR-Cas9 makes it possible for scientists to find and target a mutated gene for the purpose of studying it," Lian said.

CRISPR uses a disc of genetic material, known as plasmid DNA, to deliver guided ribonucleic acid (RNA) that positions the Cas9 enzyme at the precise location of the target gene. When the DNA is located, Cas9 binds to it and cuts it out, allowing other DNA to repair the cut. Researchers can then see how the removal changes the gene's expression. But there are delivery and editing efficiency problems with current DNA-based CRISPR methods, according to Lian.

"Delivery of DNA CRISPR effectors is low," he said. "Only 20% to 30% of the targeted cells will receive gene-editing DNA when using CRISPR. Delivery of RNA into cells can be more efficient; however, when regular RNA is introduced, cells can see it as a virus. They destroy the RNA before it can make proteins -- say, in a matter of a few hours -- and, in doing so, destroy the gene editing attempt."

To improve the outcome, the researchers changed the way the genome editing tools are delivered to the stem cells, using modified RNA (modRNA). The modRNA differs from plasmid DNA in that it replaces one of the base substrates found in RNA with a chemically modified version, and it is stabilized by stronger structural support.

Craspase - A CRISPR System That Cuts Proteins
https://www.labroots.com/trending/cell- … s-proteins

New checkpoint gene demonstrates ability to supercharge immune cells against cancer
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09- … mmune.html

New approach more than doubles stem cell editing efficiency, researchers report
https://phys.org/news/2022-09-approach- … iency.html

Genome Editing Applications of CRISPR/Cas9 in Metabolic Diseases, Hormonal System and Cancer Research
https://www.frontiersin.org/research-to … r-research

Single Genetic Change May Have Shaped the Modern Human Brain
https://www.genengnews.com/neuroscience … man-brain/

Novel method for gene editing of hPSCs yields up to 84% knockout efficiency
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20220 … iency.aspx

Last edited by Mars_B4_Moon (2022-09-14 19:17:08)

Mars_B4_Moon

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Registered: 2006-03-23

Posts: 9,195

Re: Genetically cloning a Beast of Burden..ethical & moral implications?

Mosquitoes are being genetically modified so they can't spread malaria

https://www.newscientist.com/article/23 … d-malaria/

Mars_B4_Moon

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Registered: 2006-03-23

Posts: 9,195

Re: Genetically cloning a Beast of Burden..ethical & moral implications?

Genetic Engineering and (Farm) Animals

https://biotechart.artscinow.org/conten … rm-animals

My stance on genetic engineering on animals is that it can be very beneficial, as long as we go about it the right way.  Here are some farm animals that have been genetically engineered.

Enviropig / Frankenswine

This pig has been genetically engineered with E. coli and mouse DNA to digest phosphorous better than the wild type pig.  This is helpful, because the manure from pigs have a lot of phosphorous, which may then damage the water system, damage microbial water life, and decrease the amount of oxygen available.  Because of this genetic engineering, this reduces pollution and is better for the environment.

Video game speculation scifi fictional book world building?

'Is a religion which allows cyborgs but not AI or genetic engineering realistic?'
https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com … -realistic
Viewed 2k times

The Mega Mind

Could We Really Increase Human IQ via Genetic Engineering?
https://mindmatters.ai/2022/08/could-we … gineering/
One suggested approach is to only implant “intelligent” human embryos and discard the rest, to avoid editing individual genes

At Big Think, we have been told by the managing editor, in a tone of considerable confidence:

    Because intelligence is such a strong genetic trait, rapidly advancing genetics research could result in the ability to create a class of super-intelligent humans one-thousand times higher in IQ than today’s most brilliant thinkers.

    Stephen Hsu, Vice-President for Research and Professor of Theoretical Physics at Michigan State University, believes we are only a decade away from identifying the many thousands of genetic variants that control for intelligence. These variants, called alleles, could then be selected for by the parents of a soon-to-be-conceived child, and possibly genetic engineering could be done on adults to boost their intelligence.

Human/machine hybrids or cyborgs evolving to biocyborgs
The synthetic biology is an engineering approach to biology. The aim is to re-design of existing, natural biological systems for useful purposes as well as design and construction of new biological parts, devices, and systems.
https://idstch.com/technology/bioscienc … iocyborgs/
An Organism’s sensing, metabolic, and decision-making capabilities are all encoded within their genome as unique sequence of DNA bases. These base pairs can be considered as bits of computer software, that helps determine how a cell grows and what goes on inside it or what it produces. By changing an organism’s genome sequence, we can alter these cellular functions, and thereby engineer them.

‘Smell cyborgs’ are replacing dogs that sniff out cancer or explosives

https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2022 … xplosives/

We live in a world of odors—chemical signals that contain valuable data about our health, the environment and even personal choices like which foods, perfumes and beverages we enjoy. Despite decades of research and development, however, this aromatic information has remained mostly untapped.

But now scientists and entrepreneurs are redoubling their efforts to recreate the sense of smell in compact devices that detect and analyze odors similar to the way cameras now recognize our faces and microphones our words. In pursuit of these high-tech devices–which could use odors to detect disease like cancer or Covid-19, locate hidden explosives or decipher our moods and behaviors—some companies are leveraging advances in synthetic biology and genetic engineering. Others are harnessing advances in artificial intelligence.

A Brave new fun book they say
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/glowin … -campbell/
Glowing Bunnies!?: Why We're Making Hybrids, Chimeras, and Clones

Grimes: A Mutated Generation

Of all the cyber-saints in media—from Bill Gates to Lady Gaga—few are as honest as the techno-pagan pop starlet, Grimes.

Some say the Right wing Paranoid in the Conservative Truther style of Q-Anon politics?

The Slippery Slope To Cyborg Theocracy
https://www.thethinkingconservative.com … theocracy/
The Thinking Conservative

There is a History of 'Steve Bannon' and the Biosphere 2

Elon Musk and the movie Soylent Green?

'I don't think we should try to have people live for a really long time,' he said.

'That it would cause asphyxiation of society because the truth is, most people don't change their mind. They just die. So if they don't die, we will be stuck with old ideas and society wouldn't advance.'

He said it was already a problem in the United States where much of the leadership was old and out of touch.

Currently, Joe Biden, at 79, is the oldest man to ever serve as president.

'In the US, it's a very, very ancient leadership. And it is just impossible to stay in touch with the people if you are many generations older than them.'

https://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?id=10206
'Musk speaks truth to humanity.'

now only has his dog for company

I assume his Dog was real and not some cartoon tamagotchi meme on twitter, or cloned or robot thing?

it sounds like a real world dog

'Say if I'm working on the starship rocket and I'm just staying in my little house by myself, especially if my dog is not with me, then I feel quite lonely'

Last edited by Mars_B4_Moon (2022-09-22 18:49:07)

Mars_B4_Moon

Member

Registered: 2006-03-23

Posts: 9,195

Re: Genetically cloning a Beast of Burden..ethical & moral implications?

Will animal of Mars have right to be rescued?

The importance of healthy animals for the wellbeing of pet owners
https://www.euractiv.com/section/health … et-owners/

PAW Act to Protect Animals in the Event of Disasters is Signed Into Law
https://www.hstoday.us/subject-matter-a … -into-law/

Animal welfare is often overlooked during disaster response and recovery efforts

‘These dogs are angels’: sleep-deprived student who fainted and lost consciousness on Chinese campus says stray canines saved her
https://www.scmp.com/news/people-cultur … ampus-says

Public wants wider public debate on gene editing in livestock
https://www.fwi.co.uk/livestock/public- … -livestock

Lab-Grown Human Brain Tissue Works in Rats
https://www.wired.com/story/lab-grown-h … s-in-rats/

50 years of ethics: Scientists navigate an increasingly challenging field
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-10- … field.html

Chinese scientists create gene-edited pigs with immunity to Aids-like virus
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science … aids-virus

Researchers say technique can be used to engineer hogs with other desirable qualities, such as leaner meat and suitability as organ donors for humans

The process combines gene editing and embryo engineering and provides a safe and effective strategy for genetic modification in domesticated animals, they wrote in the peer-reviewed journal Zoological Research earlier this month.

Blue ear disease is caused by the porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV). The disease can suppress the immune system and cause organ damage, leading to reproductive disorders in sows, high mortality among piglets and respiratory diseases in adult pigs.

The disease is widespread and considered one of the most expensive diseases affecting pig farming. According to some estimates, about 75 per cent of herds in the US and 80 per cent in China carry the virus. Once infected, pigs have the virus for life.

Last edited by Mars_B4_Moon (2022-10-20 05:06:02)

Mars_B4_Moon

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Registered: 2006-03-23

Posts: 9,195

Re: Genetically cloning a Beast of Burden..ethical & moral implications?

Having the genetics of a night owl protects night shift workers against sleep loss

https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2023-03-17-ha … sleep-loss

Chinese scientists use stem cell technology to grow antlers on Mice in breakthrough that could one day allow humans to regrow lost Limbs
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech … -MICE.html

Scientists have managed to grow antler-like structures on the foreheads of mice

Mars_B4_Moon

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Registered: 2006-03-23

Posts: 9,195

Re: Genetically cloning a Beast of Burden..ethical & moral implications?

US admins give green light to gene-edited pig sausages for human consumption
https://interestingengineering.com/scie … r-sausages

A team of geneticists led by University of Montana paleontologist Jack Horner is seeking to modify a chicken to express several features present in ancestral maniraptorans but absent in modern birds, such as teeth and a long tail, creating what has been dubbed a 'chickenosaurus'.Parallel projects have produced chicken embryos expressing dinosaur-like skull, leg, and foot anatomy.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5069580
,
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4431314

Mars_B4_Moon

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Registered: 2006-03-23

Posts: 9,195

Re: Genetically cloning a Beast of Burden..ethical & moral implications?

Thousands of species of animals probably have consciousness

https://www.economist.com/science-and-t … sciousness