Arctic link to the monsoon

Arctic link to the monsoon

In the chill climes of polar waters, scientists are looking for specific oceanographic factors that could influence Indian monsoon.

IndARC, the country’s first moored-underwater observatory in the Arctic, had recently been deployed for the continuous monitoring of the oceanographic parameters from various depths. IndARC is expected to provide significant inputs in the understanding of the Arctic climate and its possible link to tropical processes, specifically the Indian monsoon. The observatory is presently anchored about 1100 km away from the North Pole at a depth of 192 metres.

The observatory carries with it an array of high-end oceanographic sensors strategically positioned at discrete depths in the water column.

The sensors are programmed to collect real-time data on seawater temperature, salinity, current and other vital parameters of the fjord (creek), explained K.P. Krishnan, the leader of the project, ‘long-term monitoring of Kongsfjorden for climate-change studies’.

Climate change is felt first and fastest in the Arctic. It manifests as rising temperatures, loss of sea-ice and the melting of ice sheets. Any change in the Arctic region can influence climate patterns, sea-level rise and biodiversity changes across the globe, he noted.

The deployment of IndARC won the researchers the National Geoscience Award 2014, which was presented recently. The Indian research team included R. Venkatesan, Arul Muthiah and B. Kesavakumar of the National Institute of Ocean Technology, Chennai.

The observatory will help overcome logistical constraints in reaching the location during the harsh Arctic winter and obtaining near-surface data for the collection of oceanographic data. It will also aid the continuous collection of data from depths very close to the water surface as well as at different discrete depths, he said.

The oceanographic data acquired though the observatory, besides providing for an increased understanding of the response of the Arctic to climatic variability, would also provide inputs in the understanding of the Arctic processes and their influence on the Indian monsoon system through climate modelling studies, explained Dr. Krishnan.

CRISPR-edited mushroom cleared

The engineered mushrooms do not brown easily when sliced. This can improve their shelf-life, thereby rendering them valuable commercially.

A species of genetically engineered mushroom has been freed of regulation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). This means that it can be cultivated and sold without being overseen by the USDA, according to a news report published online in Nature recently. Though about 30 genetically modified organisms have been similarly freed by the USDA, the special thing about this mushroom species is that this is the first organism to have been edited using the tool CRISPR-Cas9, which has been making waves in the field of genome editing, lately.

Known as the common white button mushroom, this fungus species (Agaricus bisporus) was genetically engineered by Yinong Yang of Pennsylvania State University using CRISPR-Cas9. The engineered mushrooms do not brown easily when sliced. This can improve their shelf-life, thereby rendering them valuable commercially.

The browning of the mushroom is caused by the enzyme polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and the above effect may be got by removing the genes that code for this enzyme. By removing some base pairs from the mushroom’s genome, Dr Yang succeeded in getting rid of one of the six PPO genes which reduced the enzyme’s activity by 30 per cent.

This process did not introduce foreign DNA from other viruses and bacteria. This is perhaps the reason why the modified mushroom was given the green signal. Among the 30 plant species that have escaped the regulatory framework is a rose-coloured pineapple variety.

Cultivating genetically modified crops is a huge industry which may be undergoing a massive rethink involving a three-pronged argument, with the industry on side, the biologists on another and activists opposing it from the third. The U.S. National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine will meet on April 18 to discuss this issue and, among other things, bring out a report that will predict what kind of advances will be made in biotechnology products over the coming years. The report will also comment on regulatory processes.

There is a whole spectrum of rules and regulations in countries around the world when it comes to research in genetic engineering and implementation of the results of research outside the lab. A case in point is that of germline editing using CRISPR, in which area many countries have even banned research. With regard to genetically modified crops, the U.S. has been quite liberal and it is likely to become more so.

The organisms that have currently been given the green signal involve somewhat simple steps of editing such as knocking off a set of genes to create a desired effect. As the technology advances, more complex procedures will be initiated and so the whole process of regulating these products will need to be reviewed as and when that happens.


‪#‎WorldHemophiliaDay‬ being observed today
Medical fraternity, hospitals, blood bank units and people living with bleeding disorders are observing the World Hemophilia Day (WHD) in major cities of the world today, April 17.
The observance is being coordinated by the World Federation of Haemophilia (WFH) - an international non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of people with hemophilia.
According to WFH, globally, 1 in 1,000 people has a bleeding disorder and most are not diagnosed and do not receive treatment. "Together we can change that," urges WFH on the occasion of WHD.
The observance is mean to create awareness about the bleeding disorders and educate haemophiliacs and lobbies for improved medical treatment since 75% of people in the world with bleeding disorders do not know it and do not receive care, informs WFH that has official recognition from the World Health Organization (WHO).