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A CRISPR first produces squid as clear as glass

nature.com

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Re: A CRISPR first produces squid as clear as glass

#21

Post by sampo »

dprophecyguy wrote: post #10

As a learner, is it possible to self learn more about Gene Editing and these things, and can these things can be learned in a hacker way without going through a formal academic route ?

> is it possible to self learn more about Gene Editing

You could (1) read a basic textbook in genetics (or look at online courses in genetics and molecular biology), (2) read a textbook in genetic engineering, and then (3) read a book in CRISPR. Maybe there could also be some shorter path than reading 3 books.

Re: A CRISPR first produces squid as clear as glass

#22

Post by verroq »

_f9cu wrote: post #20
throwaway743 wrote: post #15

Are its eyes messed up in the photo or is that normal?

They removed the dots in the eyes as well.

So it’s blind? Reminds me of the Invisible Man plot hole where the guy gets turned invisible and thus his retinas also become transparent and therefore he shouldn’t be able to see anything.

Re: A CRISPR first produces squid as clear as glass

#24

Post by DrAwdeOccarim »

nestorD wrote: post #17
dprophecyguy wrote: post #10

As a learner, is it possible to self learn more about Gene Editing and these things, and can these things can be learned in a hacker way without going through a formal academic route ?

In my country (France) the use of CRISPR is highly regulated (its basically regulated as biological weapon material). You could learn about it from articles and textbooks but are very unlikely to be able to play with it.

As much as I appreciate the desire for governments to stem the tide, what you're saying is likely very difficult--if not impossible--for a government to effectively stop. Of course, people who don't want to break the law will comply but those who don't care will have no trouble doing as they please. Gene editing is quite simple now, and with only a few purchased parts one can edit whatever they please. Maybe you're thinking of editing human embryos?

Re: A CRISPR first produces squid as clear as glass

#25

Post by DrAwdeOccarim »

dprophecyguy wrote: post #10

As a learner, is it possible to self learn more about Gene Editing and these things, and can these things can be learned in a hacker way without going through a formal academic route ?

Youtube is fantastic for this. What you'll find out is that once you understand how DNA works (codons map to amino acids), and that amino acids fold into specific 4D shapes that trap molecule A and mush it into molecule B to make molecule C, the rest kind of falls into place.

Re: A CRISPR first produces squid as clear as glass

#26

Post by sradman »

The paper Highly Efficient Knockout of a Squid Pigmentation Gene [1]

> two key advances have made it possible to develop techniques for the genetic manipulation of squid. The first is the CRISPR-Cas9 system for targeted gene disruption, a largely species-agnostic method. The second is the sequencing of genomes for several cephalopod species.

The point is not a clear squid lacking chromatophores, a rather discomforting thought, but creating a new animal model with knockout genes.

[1] https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(20)...

Re: A CRISPR first produces squid as clear as glass

#27

Post by sradman »

LargoLasskhyfv wrote: post #6

I feel creeped out/put off about this. These are intelligent beings, apparently limited only by their short lifespan. They communicate by modulating the pigments into patterns. Now that has been taken away. Imagine toasting some genes in a human embryo to the effect of lock in syndrome. Crispy! edit: I think this is a case for PETA to look into.

Cephalopods are amazing animals but I would be careful about anthropomorphizing their behavior. If they are communicating via chromatophores, then this type of animal model will be key to understanding how this kind of signalling works.

Cruelty implies stress or pain; albino social animals might be a better analogy than lock in syndrome.

Re: A CRISPR first produces squid as clear as glass

#30

Post by sradman »

azernik wrote: post #14
LargoLasskhyfv wrote: post #6

I feel creeped out/put off about this. These are intelligent beings, apparently limited only by their short lifespan. They communicate by modulating the pigments into patterns. Now that has been taken away. Imagine toasting some genes in a human embryo to the effect of lock in syndrome. Crispy! edit: I think this is a case for PETA to look into.

That's octopodes; squid are much less intelligent. They're moving on next to much smaller (and hence even less intelligent) hummingbird bobtail squid.

My starting assumption is that octopus, cuttlefish, and squid have similar intelligence levels. If chromatophore manipulation is correlated to cephalopod intelligence then bobtail squid are small but smart.

My own anecdotal evidence is that juvenile cephalopods exhibit adult-level intelligence which is a good reminder not to project mammalian behavior assumptions on cephalopods.

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