URCH ENE BSemestral magazine of Genetics andG Bioengineering Department ISSUE 01/MAY 2016 FORENSIC GENETICS ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE NEUROSCIENCE GENE THERAPY Genetics for CSI Question??? A Love Story Disease treatment? Great introduction in forensic Is Alzheimer’s in your genes? Scientist from Harvard about Problems and Prospects of genetics on crime scene p.8 p.20 neuroscience and genetics p.16 Gene Therapy p.18 LEARN NEW THINGS ABOUT HISTORY OF GENETICS 2 History of Genetics Genetics is more than a “laboratory science”; unlike some other areas of science, because genetics has a direct impact on soci- ety. So what is genetics? We heard a lot of times that genetics is the scien- tific study of heredity, but like all defi- nitions, this leaves a lot unsaid. To be more specific, what geneticists do is study how traits (such as eye color and hair color) and diseases (such as cys- tic fibrosis and sickle cell anemia) are » p.8 passed from generation to generation . » p.18 BurchGene magazine Broaden your horizons Dear colleagues, students, respected professors, collabora- Executive editors: tors and respected readers. It is a great pleasure and honour to Ahmed Osmanović present to you the first ever student magazine „Burch Gene“, Adnan Fojnica here at our department for Genetics and Bioengineering. Editorial board: Finally, “Burch Gene” magazine saw the daylight. Our goal Prof. Dr. Damir Marjanović was to introduce students, professors and the public to the basic Prof. Dr. Mirsada Hukić ideas behind genetics and bioengineering. Introduce them with Assist. Prof. Dr. Almir Badnjević definitions, concepts, applications and benefits these branches Assist. Prof. Dr. Serkan Dogan of science provide to human kind. Also, to better understand Assoc. Prof. Dr. Enisa Omanović science in general and to demystify some common myths we can hear about, read in newspapers, watch on TV and similar. Text authors: Prof. Dr. Rifat Hadžiselimović In this very first edition, we will introduce you with his- Prof. Dr. Damir Marjanović torical aspects and application of Mendelian and molec- Assoc. Prof. Dr. Enisa Omanović ular genetics, biomedical engineering, forensics, nano- Assist. Prof. Dr. Almir Badnjević technology, bioinformatics, neuroscience and many other MS Elma Ferić-Bojić interesting topics. You will be able to read some interest- Lejla Gurbeta ing facts about genetics and to introduce yourselves with Adna Ašić common genetics’ diseases and ways they can be treated. Larisa Bešić Adnan Fojnica All the topics are written with simple style, affordable and Dijana Sejdinović understandable for readers that are not so familiar with genet- Anis Čilić ics from one side, in same time very comprehensive and edu- Džana Mulaomerović cational for people that are dealing with genetics, bioengi- Ahmed Osmanović neering and science in their everyday lives, from another side. Lector: For realization of this project, we spent a lot of time Sabina Halilović and gave a lot of effort, but without a doubt, our edito- rial board and collaborators have given their maximum in Graphical Design: order to achieve desired goal. Magazine is of course free, Ahmed Osmanović we are stick to belief that knowledge is right not privilege. Publisher: Using this opportunity we would like to thanks to everyone International Burch University who have recognized our work and vision, also contributed for publication of this very first number of „Burch Gene” magazine. Address: Francuske revolucije bb, Ilidža 71210 At the end, special thanks to our sponsors: International Burch University and Verlab. Telephone: 033 782-130 We hope you delight in reading these pieces E-mail: [email protected] The Editors BurchGene Magazine | May 2016 History of Genetics 3 CONTENTS 4 MILESTONES OF GENETICS The widespread thinking is that Gregor Mendel set basis for modern genetics. However it was preceded by numerous, smaller or larger contributions to this science. 8 GENETICS ON CRIME SCENE Forensic genetics is one of the rare scientific disciplines in which antiheroes had a significant impact in raising public awareness about the necessity of DNA analysis. 11 BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING In 2000, German archeologists uncovered a 3,000-year old mummy from Thebes » p.12 » p.16 with a wooden prosthetic tied to its foot to serve as a big toe. 14 SCIENCE ABOUT SMALL The ideas and concepts behind nanoscience and nanotechnology started with a talk entitled “There’s Plenty of Room at the Bottom” by physicist Richard Feynman. 16 A LOVE STORY Your brain is built of cells called neurons and glia – hundreds of billions of them. And each of them contains the entire human genome. 18 FROM GENES TO THERAPY » p.19 If genes don’t work properly, they can cause disease. Gene therapy seems like ideal » p.11p.4 » p.14 solution for treating a wide range of diseases, including cancer, diabetes and AIDS. 20 IS ALZHEIMER´S IN YOUR GENES? Alzheimer´s disease is a degenerative disease of brain that results in dementia or loss of memory, and ability to function. 2 in 3 people with AD are women. 22 A, C, G & T A, C, G & T are ‘’letters’’ that write ‘’book of life’’ inside each of us. It took too long for humans to decipher these ‘’letters’’. 24 A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE » p.7 When we are talking about molecular genetics we can surely say ideas that are currently unimaginable are soon going to become history. 26 9 GREATEST DISCOVERIES Here’s a look at some discoveries that have changed the world of genetics. It’s impossible to rank their importance, so they’re listed in the order they were discovered. » p.22 BurchGene Magazine | May 2016 4 History of Genetics MILESTONES OF GENETICS Rifat Hadžiselimović DISCOVERIES AND EVENTS From the origins of human cognition patterns on our planet, members of the human race tend to evolve to surpass their predecessors. According to the earliest written ev- idence, Homo sapiens tend to use the genetical potential of the interesting species, by using core genetics forms, from which some were not explained untill the distant future and modern epoch. It is widely known that Gregor Mendel (1822-1884) set the basis (1869.) for all fields of modern genetic research. In the early 20th century, the science that he was involved with is referred to as Mendelism, with the qualification “science of inheritance” ... However, as in all other areas of hu- man knowledge, it was preceded by numerous, smaller or larger contributions to this science, which originate from the deepest layers of civilization. Such areas have long been works of ingenious in- dividuals amateurs who were not considered scientists, and nor did they fully grasp the science. 1. Early theories and interacted in the womb to direct an Hebrew - Judah ibn Tibbon. applications organism’s early development. For In 1000 CE, the Arab physi- both Hippocrates and Aristotle— cian, Abu al-Qasim al-Zahrawi 3000. CE - Targeted cross and nearly all Western scholars (known as Albucasis in the West) breeding between domestic through to the late 19th century— was the first physician to describe animals. the inheritance of acquired charac- clearly the hereditary nature of hae- The Egyptians, Greeks and teristics was a supposedly well-es- mophilia in his Al-Tasrif. Romans crossed horses with the tablished fact that any adequate VI century CE, - Heraclitus is aim of “processing”. theory of heredity had to explain. the founder of the dialectical-ma- Assyrians and Babylonians dis- At the same time, individual species terialist view of the world: ‘’ Panta tinguished male and female tree were taken to have a fixed essence; Rei ‘(everything moves). Matter, dates, and the number of males such that inherited changes were including wildlife, everywhere, is were minimized in order to achieve merely superficial. constantly changing. It is a single higher yields. In the 9th century CE, the Afro- concept - only manifests itself The most influential early Arab writer Al-Jahiz considered the in various forms. There exists a theories of heredity were that effects of the environment on the present struggle of opposites: of of Hippocrates and Aristotle. likelihood of an animal to survive. living occurs life, but life can not Hippocrates’ theory (possibly based In 1140 CE, Judah HaLevi exist without death; the origin does on the teachings of Anaxagoras) described dominant and recessive not go without fail; light without was similar to Darwin’s later ideas genetic traits in The Kuzari. “This darkness; beginning with no end. on pangenesis, involving hered- phenomenon is well known in V Century CE - Empedocles ity material that is collected from inheritance, because very often we suggested the four elements: water, throughout the body. Aristotle sug- have a son who does not look like earth, air and fire - and culminates gested instead that the (nonphys- his father, and instead looks like ancient materialism. His philos- ical) form-giving principle of an his grandfather. Without a doubt, ophy is the forerunner of the sci- organism was transmitted through inheritance and likeness were entific process. Interestingly, semen (which he considered to be found within his father, though they Empedocles hypothesis sugests a purified form of blood), and the were not visible from the outside.” that living organisms are formed by mother’s menstrual blood, which assembling individual anatomical BurchGene Magazine | May 2016 History of Genetics 5 1694th - Rudolph Camerarius, German professor of medicine, described sexual reproduction in plants. As far as is known, this was the first recorded production of artificial hybrids, which prompted an experimental approach to hybridization. 1717th - Thomas Fairchild, English explorer announced results of successful pollination between related plants. Hybrids displayed Figure 1 Albucasis and two pages from his original crowning achievement, his traits of both parents, which are magnum opus, was a 30 volume encyclopedia of medicine and surgery called Kitab known as Fairchild’s sweet William al-Tasrif or Fairchaild’s mule.