MODIFIED FOODS. DNA and FORENSICS. GENE THERAPY. STEM CELLS. FUTURE
PRESENTATION /BIOTECHNOLOGY
Ex for 31/03/04
Topics in Nanobiotech- 2004
MVDuarte
1- Find 5 potential genetically modified foods that would have a related health benefit
Potencially
foods
modified
Why- Health benefit
Comments
1 Vegetables (beans,
spinach)
containing
extra doses of iron
(but
according
to
healthy levels) and
Vitamin C
A low iron level is the
most common cause of
anaemia in children.
It can lead to many
problems,
including
learning disabilities and
behaviour problems.
Foods rich in iron include meat, beans, spinach and other
foods that say they are iron fortified.
Vitamin C can help the iron be absorbed. Do not give iron
vitamins with cow's milk.
http://www.keepkidshealthy.com/
welcome/commonproblems/anemia.html
2 Look for subsists of
and albumin, globulin,
ovalbumin and vitellin
in white eggs- Chicken
alimentation.
Eggs without specific
proteins which cause
allergic.
Avoid the
need to eliminate white
eggs in the diet of
children
3 Omega 3 Fatty acids
in meat (through cow
alimentation
or
through
addition
directly in the meat)
It is one of the main
things to avoid hair loss
4 Include appropriate
systemic
antibiotics/antibacterial
in sweets against the
bacteria. Even though,
Calcium intake is the
best way
5
Inclusion of
Carotene in rice
To avoid dental caries
Eggs, especially the proteins in egg whites are also a
common cause of food allergies. To help prevent allergies
to eggs, it is a good idea to avoid giving egg whites to
infants under a year old.
Also avoid foods that are prepared with eggs, which may
include French toast, cake, cookies, pancakes, eggnog,
bread, ice cream, pasta, puddings, creamy salad dressings
and foods with custard or cream fillings.
Omega 3 fatty acids are known to play an important part in
maintaining a healthy scalp (and skin) as well as being
more immediately associated with hair growth. Fish eaters
are unlikely to have any problems, especially if they have
penchant for mackerel or salmon, while other sources
include walnuts and flax seed. Zinc and magnesium are the
two primary minerals necessary for a healthy head of hair.
Avoiding sweets intake and cleaning teeth with enough
frequency is not always is not always for children.
Prevention of
xerophthalmia in
countries of poor diets.
An inadequate intake of
carotene or preformed
vitamin A, poor
absorption of the
vitamin or an increased
metabolic demand can
all lead to vitamin A
deficiency. Of these
three, dietary deficiency
is by far the most
common cause of
xerophthalmia.
In recent decades xerophthalmia has been especially
prevalent in children of poor rice-eating families in South
and Southeast Asia (e.g. Bangladesh, India, Indonesia and
the Philippines). There is a high incidence in some African
countries (e.g. Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Malawi,
Mozambique and Zambia), whereas other countries,
especially in West Africa, seem to have a lower prevalence
in part because of the consumption of red palm oil, which is
high in carotene.
Good sources of retinol, or preformed vitamin A, are liver,
fish-liver oils, egg yolks and dairy products. In most nonindustrialized countries, however, the majority of poor
people get most, often 80 percent or more, of their vitamin
A from carotene in foods of vegetable origin. The yellow
colour of carotene may be masked by chlorophyll in many
dark green leafy vegetables. Carotenes are present in good
quantities in a wide variety of green and yellow vegetables
and fruits, in yellow maize and in yellow root crops, e.g.
sweet potatoes
MODIFIED FOODS. DNA and FORENSICS. GENE THERAPY. STEM CELLS. FUTURE
PRESENTATION /BIOTECHNOLOGY
Ex for 31/03/04
Topics in Nanobiotech- 2004
MVDuarte
2 DNA and its use in forensics
Nature- News
World Trade Centre forensics break new ground
Attempts to identify 9/11 victims are pushing DNA fingerprinting forward.
23 April 2003
JOHN WHITFIELD
Nineteen months after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the effort to identify victims'
remains goes on. Forensic scientists working on the project are being forced to break new ground. They
have come up with innovative tests and ways to interpret the resulting data.
3- Gene therapy
Ethical Issues in Human Gene Therapy"
LeRoy Walters
Kennedy Institute of Ethics, Georgetown University
LeRoy Walters provided a valuable perspective on some of the lessons learned by scientists and ethicists
over the 18 years since the first human gene therapy protocol was approved. He also offered his
predictions for future gene-therapy interventions and discussed some associated ethical dilemmas that
society may be facing.
4- Stem cells
Abortion and Stem Cells Stem cells carry an ethical burden due to their origins and possibilities. One
source for stem cells is aborted embryos. Furthermore, stem cells have the potential to develop into any
human cell type - possibly into complete humans. This investigation of the reasons to support stem cells
examines the implications of the abortion debate on stem cell research.
Stem Cells for the Future Treatment of Parkinson's Disease - Stem Cell Basics
http://stemcells.nih.gov/infoCenter/stemCellBasics.asp
5- Topic for presentation
Human Cloning?
The new genetic and reproductive technologies pose unique challenges, yet they fundamentally affect
many familiar issues. A range of perspectives underlies the emerging opposition to a "post-human"
future. How will the new genetic technologies affect the reproductive rights of women, the status of
people with disabilities, and human interactions with the environment? Could they exacerbate existing
inequalities or even create new ones? Perspectives related to:

Children's and Family Advocates
 Communities of Color
 Disability Rights Advocates
 Environmentalists
 Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender
 Human Rights Advocates
 Indigenous Peoples
 Religious Communities
 Scientists and Health Professionals
 Advocates for Women and Reproductive Rights