{"id":327,"date":"2007-11-29T17:37:23","date_gmt":"2007-11-29T21:37:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.flascience.org\/wp\/?p=327"},"modified":"2008-08-04T12:52:15","modified_gmt":"2008-08-04T16:52:15","slug":"evolution-research-in-the-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/?p=327","title":{"rendered":"Evolution research in the news"},"content":{"rendered":"

For your reading pleasure, here are a couple of science-related news articles that specifically mention that scary word: evolution. Articles related to intelligent design discoveries and achievements? Zero. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll keep looking, though. \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n

In the first case we have hereditary blindness being treated by gene-transfer. How do scientists manage to get the new genes where they need to go? Well, a product of evolution leads the way<\/a> …<\/p>\n

Now the gene-transfer technique is being tested for safety in people in a phase 1 clinical research study conducted by the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Florida with support from the National Eye Institute of the National Institutes of Health.<\/p>\n

A young adult with a form of hereditary blindness called Leber congenital amaurosis type 2, or LCA2, received an injection of trillions of replacement genes into the retina of one eye this month, making the volunteer one of the first people in the world to undergo the procedure. Shalesh Kaushal, M.D., Ph.D., an assistant professor of ophthalmology at UF, performed the gene transfer.<\/p>\n

…<\/p>\n

In LCA-type diseases, photoreceptor cells are unable to respond to light. NEI and NEI-supported researchers have found that LCA2 is caused by mutations in the RPE65 gene, which produces a protein with the same name that is vital for vision. This trial will evaluate the use of a modified adeno-associated virus \u00e2\u20ac\u201d an apparently harmless virus that already exists in most people \u00e2\u20ac\u201d to deliver RPE65 to the retina.<\/p>\n

“Viruses have evolved a way to get into cells very efficiently, more efficiently than anything else we know to deliver a piece of genetic material to a cell,” Hauswirth said. “So all we’re doing is using evolution to our advantage \u00e2\u20ac\u201d in this case, to deliver our therapeutic gene.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Research like the following example needs more publicity. The facts underlying the theory of evolution are many and diverse, serving as a never-ending river of real research possibilities. As can be seen here, evolution is treated as just matter of fact. It just says, “here’s what we’re doing.” Period. No apologies. No euphemisms. Just another day exploring evolution<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n

GAINESVILLE, Fla. \u00e2\u20ac\u201d University of Florida and University of Texas at Austin scientists have shed light on what Charles Darwin called the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153abominable mystery\u00e2\u20ac\u009d of early plant evolution.<\/p>\n

In two papers set to be published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the scientists report that the two largest groups of flowering plants are more closely related to each other than any of the other major lineages. These are the monocots, which include grasses and their relatives, and the eudicots, which include sunflowers and tomatoes.<\/p>\n

Doug and Pam Soltis, a UF professor of botany and curator at UF\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Florida Museum of Natural History, respectively, also showed that a stunning diversification of flowering plants they are referring to as the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Big Bang\u00e2\u20ac\u009d took place in the comparatively short period of less than 5 million years \u00e2\u20ac\u201d and resulted in all five major lineages of flowering plants that exist today.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For your reading pleasure, here are a couple of science-related news articles that specifically mention that scary word: evolution. Articles related to intelligent design discoveries and achievements? Zero. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll keep looking, though. \ud83d\ude09 In the first case we have hereditary … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[3,5],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pcZNLl-5h","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1448,"url":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/?p=1448","url_meta":{"origin":327,"position":0},"title":"A Sad Day for Intellectualism and Science","author":"Jonathan Smith","date":"December 16, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Christopher Hitchens \u00c2\u00a0died yesterday after a long fight with esophageal cancer.\u00c2\u00a0 I'm sure\u00c2\u00a0some of us would not agree with many of his thoughts on politics or religion,however we can all agree, he was a staunch advocate of science and science education. Hitchens\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0spoke out against creationism (refusing to use the phrase\u2026","rel":"","context":"With 2 comments","block_context":{"text":"With 2 comments","link":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/?p=1448#comments"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":689,"url":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/?p=689","url_meta":{"origin":327,"position":1},"title":"Survival Of The Fittest: Even Cancer Cells Follow The Laws Of Evolution","author":"Jonathan Smith","date":"August 15, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00c2\u00a0Scientists from The Institute of Advanced Studies at Princeton and the University of California discovered that the underlying process in tumor formation is the same as for life itself\u00e2\u20ac\u201devolution. 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Also see Curriculm Matters blog, Education Week article (it looks like you have to subscribe to see the\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1083,"url":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/?p=1083","url_meta":{"origin":327,"position":3},"title":"Stuff to keep you distracted","author":"Brandon Haught","date":"June 30, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Sorry that I haven't been blogging much lately. Family, work, school, etc. You know the drill. 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