http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3KJJahBMeE&feature=channel


Should you be able to 'patent' parts of the human genome?

On the one hand, since in this case a patent entails essentially a 20 year lease from the government on the information stating that you it will defend your and your right alone to use the discovered info, it's a pretty restricting thing.

That said, there's got to be some incentive for companies to pursue this expensive research, right? I mean, we might not have come as far as we have in sequencing the human genome if it weren't for these incentives.

But would more innovation result if there were no such restrictions? I mean, the applications OF these discoveries could still be patented, right? It's a sticky issue, and one that doesn't have an easy answer.

I mean, shouldn't a private company that has put in all the funds, time and research to decoding the particular sequence get at least some sort of pay-off? But what happens when the organization seeking such a patent is a PUBLIC UNIVERSITY, which is largely funded by taxpayer dollars? How does it make sense for them to have exclusive rights to the use of that information? It doesn't, but that's the way it currently is.

But then again, if such patents were disallowed for public institutions and PRIVATE universities were still able to patent such knowledge, then they would, in effect, gain an extremely unfair advantage over the public universities because of the increased funds that they would continue to receive from such discoveries. In the long term, this could have disastrous consequences for the ability of publicly funded institutions to compete with private ones in the field, and in the end this would have the undesired effect of undermining overall scientific progress.

Therefore, it makes sense that it has to be all or nothing in these situations, and so the question remains, which should it be? A huge part of me just wants to wretch thinking about people patenting GENETIC INFORMATION, and though I can see the other side of the argument the fact that supposedly 20% of the human genome has already been patented so far makes me sick, especially considering the precedent that this practice sets for other kinds of scientific 'proprietary knowledge.'


For example, what does this mean for the epigenome? Some background info from wikipedia:

"In biology, the term epigenetics refers to changes in phenotype (appearance) or gene expression caused by mechanisms other than changes in the underlying DNA sequence, hence the name epi- (Greek: over; above) -genetics. These changes may remain through cell divisions for the remainder of the cell's life and may also last for multiple generations. However, there is no change in the underlying DNA sequence of the organism;[1] instead, non-genetic factors cause the organism's genes to behave (or "express themselves") differently."

Each person's epigenome is different because of the unique environmental factors that each of us experience, so that even 'identical' twins can have significantly different epigenomes by the time they reach adulthood or old age, though they started out, for all intents and purposes, genetically identical and with (presumably) the same epigenome (the same genes switched on or off throughout the cells in their bodies).

'Sequencing' a person's epigenome would entail discovering what environmental factors contribute to switching on and off specific genes in that person, effectively controlling what genes are expressed, meaning that it's theoretically possible to discover which specific environmental factors provide for a higher likelihood of cancer, brittle bones, larger breasts or muscles, or obesity in that person.

And since it can differ from person to person which specific environmental factors are likely to result in which traits of their genome are expressed, this is potentially a MUCH larger project than simply attempting to sequence the generic human genome, those genes which are the same for all people, as was done with the Human Genome Project a few years back now. So perhaps in this case such patent incentives are necessary and even welcome given the scope of the endeavor?

Then again, consider this:

We know that a person's genome can be effected by their environment, and certainly this should be the case whether as a fully developed adult or an embryo that's still in utero. That said, since we know that conditions like autism are linked to genetics, could it not also then theoretically be possible to affect an embryo with a high likelihood for autism's epigenome in such a way that, if attempted early enough in development, it could actually decrease the likelihood that these traits would develop in the child? And if this were the case, wouldn't you, as a potential parent, want this knowledge to be as widespread as possible so that a number of different companies/ institutions have access to the information, and can then come up with competing ways/ solutions to the problem, which would drive down costs and make such procedures available to the most people possible?

This does not even address the issue of whether or not, if possible, it would even be ethical to do so, but that's largely a topic for another day.

But that question does then lead into the whole issue of whether or not patients should be notified if they're found to have certain genetic risk-factors for terminal diseases, but ones that don't necessarily guarantee that they will develop them (largely because of the possibility of their epigenomes switching those genes on or off), which is a whole 'nother matter. Indeed, that way lies discussions of screening for a whole host of inherited characteristics in the unborn, which could lead to eugenics, a slippery slope.

On the other hand, just simply KNOWING that your child is/ could be autistic wouldn't necessarily mean that the parent(s) would elect to terminate the pregnancy, or even to attempt to modify the child's genome directly through genetic engineering (the day is fast approaching) or by influencing it's epigenome (two different things), as KNOWLEDGE in and of itself doesn't automatically force any of those possible outcomes. It's in dealing with issues surrounding what people do with that knowledge where questions arise.

Personally, I'd like to see a scientific community that takes a page or two from the 'open source' software movement, where all scientific progress of this nature is documented and distributed for free, to the most benefit of the most people, though at this point I am unsure that such a world could ever be possible without a system of economic incentives to spur innovation... similar to the system we have now. Hmm.

No easy answer.

Keep it a place inside your mind
where writers dream and children dine

Where shadows dance and meters rhyme


A place where friends are fast and

built to last a message spoken in time.

Its all part of a place not suspended on a line
but perpetually changing, growing, evolving, marching onward towards tomorrow,
its resolves
always on the horizon but still somehow still in reach
of those whose hearts and minds fail to preach
all boring and obscene manner of arrogant assumption
and vulgar presumptions at meaning behind actions.

Sometimes it may feel
As though it's more trouble than it's worth
to pay it forward
to foot the bill for the those behind you in the drive through
to leave something behind
because it may still not end up making a difference, making a contribution.

But the price is worth it, low and behold
Paid in full, returned tenfold
with a shotgun blast.
it breaks the mold.
And brings it back, to those that told

That Buddha sold Christ
and Muhammad to the old
to those who fast with those left out,
with those in the cold
And finally the Evident was truth.

 -to teach a child,
to comfort a lover,
to water flowers
and weed for growing things.

These are all a part of the fire
in the hills.

It's like I imagine being shoved out a birth canal must feel like,
after the hours long plane rides contort and twist
every bone and muscle
in your body
into some misshapen,
mishappen rag doll of an infant, limbs wobbly and unsure of themselves when stepping off the plane, adjusting to the new and different smells and temperatures present at each airport.

Actually, in all seriousness
Phoenix International reeks to high heaven like I don't know what- Something dead
more than likely.

But
there's always the chance that this time
will be different  -.?

After leaving the place of Sand, you come to a town, a city situated on the horizon of Forever.

You round a corner, crossing the hazy street, and find that you're no longer alone.

...But at the same time, on the heels of that thought, you know that for as long as you can remember you've always been in this place, with her as your companion.

-How is that possible?

You've always been with her, and the taste of salt begins to fade as you take her hand-

-It's hard to remember even a few moments ago...

And are then swept up...


A heavy fog bank rolls in as you cross the intersection of two large streets flanked by towering skyscrapers. Clouds begin to obscure the setting sun.

The street lights blink on, but only serve to make the wispy pea-soup glow with a faint, other-worldly luminescence.

Time is passing too fast here. You can feel the wind pick up speed suddenly as the fog advances, feel the air currents stirring about you in a flurry of movement, tugging at your cloths and hair from all angles in a torrent of warning, sounds of fabric whipping and snapping in the sudden gale...

And then it ceases. In the utter calm that follows the hairs on the back of your neck stand up as the deep haze approaches, accelerating on the heels of the wind, now seeming to gush forward like water from a burst dam. Everything comes into focus, sharp and vivid, as you peer intently down the street at the oncoming onslaught of... undiluted substance in the fog. Unknowable possibilities, and dangers.

But it's not the fog itself that is actually moving that fast; Time itself is advancing, bearing down on you from two stories up, about to break over you.

Hands clasp, tightening their grip on each other as you each steel yourselves against whatever strange outcome is now fast approaching... but in alarm, you realize that her hand is fading from your grasp, the more so as the fog bank draws nearer.

When the bank hits everything slows down to a crawl. The air is torn from your lungs, you lose your grip, but there is no time to gasp, no ability to... you feel as though you're moving through the thick water at the bottom of a lake, with all that pressure bearing down on you from above, from the sides, from every direction all at once.

Trying desperately to turn back to see if she's still by your side you trip, begin to fall... fall... still falling... Stop.

Time has ceased. Everything has come to a stand-still. Standing frozen where you are, one foot on the ground, the other in the air behind you, arms flailing wildly, you gaze to the side, straining to see.

She's still there, but only just so... her continence has faded nearly to the point of transparency, and a look of wild terror fills her eyes as they gaze back at you over unmeasurable distance through her upheld hand.

Pleading, wondering?

Time begins to march forward again, ever so slowly. You can see the toll it's progression has on her, the intensity in her eyes fading all the more as the seconds again begin to tick by at a snails pace. But you can still barely move, and you're falling again.

If allowed to continue at this rate, unchecked, she'll fade to nothingness long centuries before you ever reach her. And what's more, the fog is having some effect on you, too, though you can't for sure say just what that is, and don't want to be around long enough to find out.

But luckily you can feel another shift coming in the time-stream, bearing down on you again like a freight train.

You know that, in a matter of moments, you will both pass through the barrier into the body of the fog bank, where time passes even more rapidly than at any other point on earth.

When that happens, you'll have only a few moments, a split-second, perhaps, to act, as she's standing slightly behind you. It won't be easy. But you have to try all the same.

And then you pass through, a moment ahead of her...

...and fall, crashing to the ground in a shower of pain as your elbow connects with the centuries-old pavement, rolling to the side and back as you do so, then springing up, connecting with her at the very instant that she breaks free of the barrier.

Your momentum carries you both forward, crashing through the glass of a long-forgotten, ground-level store-front window.

You both have just barely enough time to stand, straining against each other for support amongst the shattered glass,

-glass?

(she now entirely solid), before you realize that your violent entrance to this place has caused it to be rejoined with the time-flow outside, with white fog now streaming in through the shattered window frame behind you.

Up. You've both got to go up, into the higher reaches of the city that stand out alone against the stark night sky, obscuring the stars from far above the murky streets below.

In a panicked rush of uncoordinated, disjointed movement you both find yourselves dashing up the stairwell nearest the window room.

The fog streams in behind you, breaking against the far wall of the room and crashing against the bottom of the stairwell at your heels as you ascend the steps in a flurry of panicked, desperate motion.

Somehow you both manage to stay ahead of it's encroachment long enough to see it's advancement begin to slow. The higher you go, the slower it becomes.

Eventually you collapse against a door at the top of the stairs. Concerned, she pulls you to your feet.

You lean on her as you both enter, the sleek metal door creaking on it's frame as it opens into the room at the top.

What greets you both is what appears to be the remains of some high-level corporate executive's office, but with everything in disarray. Papers, strewn about on the floor, a trashcan tipped over by the long desk near the broad window, a wheeled chair overturned by the metal door opposite them.

Apparently, someone left in a hurry.

Far below, the street lights flicker and die, leaving the two of you in total darkness save for what little light there was to be had from the moon and stars far overhead in the night sky.

Whatever was waiting out there in the night could wait until morning. If morning ever came to this place.

You curl up with her on the floor amongst the papers, desperately embracing each other.

You pass the rest of the night that way in silence until sleep overcomes you.

In that time, how many entire years had passed in the streets below, marched by, flowing through the lower reaches of the city like molasses turned to rushing water approaching a cliff, with nothing to stop them from crashing over the side of the world in a waterfall torrent of speed and force?

Standing by the tall window, holding each other, you gaze out over the cityscape as dawn breaks over the glistening buildings in the distance.

Is this a nightly occurrence here, or something else entirely? Will the mist fade with the light of day, or will it linger even under the sun's full force?

If so, then they were trapped here, high stories above the world below, trapped and interred in a tomb of their own making, one of isolation and relative security from the forces of change far below.

Fog still covers the entirety of the city, and in fact now stretches out as far as the eye can see beyond it to the horizon.

Was the whole rest of the world to be consumed by this fog then, too?

Trapped.

Trapped just as surely as if they'd bricked themselves in.

You are standing on the far shore of Nowhere, that incredible place always just out of reach in the waking world but that we eternally inhabit in our dreams.

The ocean, formless yet ever-changing (and deep), is spread out to infinity behind you. Your back is to it.

The sound of waves crashing against the rocks dulls with the realization that today (tonight?) is not the time to face that- you have been there many times before, probed it's ever-shifting depths at will- but today is not for that. Today is for sand.

It seeps out from clenched fists.

Rhythmically it falls; a soft, piling sound, a whisper on the wind.

Not quite white noise because you can tell that it's working towards something, accumulating on the ground.

Each individual grain representing an entire world.

Each individual grain so important.

But a fist can only hold so many grains.

And the tighter you squeeze, the less you can hold on to
and the more that seeps out onto the cold ground below

the worse becomes the ache in your joints.


Realizing this
you bring your hands together, cupping them
encompassing the last precious bits of that long-shattered and worn down primordial glass.

But the wind picks up.

And blows fresh drafts of sand into your face, into your eyes.

-you sway in the wind-

The very same sand that you once held within your hands.

You fall to one knee, grasping what's left in one hand, tight.

You let the wind pass, feeling it, acknowledging it, then enjoying the ferocity of it, the vitality.

Salt. Gulls. Waves.
sound returns. taste returns.

You stand, and begin to make your way up the sharply sloping face of the dune, making your way inland from the sea, chasing that shadow that forever inhabits the fringes of your waking mind but that proves so elusive even in sleep.

But the chase is half the fun.

So this is my first entry here on LJ.

Just to go over a few things:

This 'journal'  will primarily consist of random, off-the-wall entries covering a number of topics and ideas. The types of entries will range from creative bits (short stories, poetry?) to analytical stuff (usually dealing with current events or interesting tidbits I've recently dug up on something) and may even feature the occasional update on some of the more important events in my personal life, though most of that will remain securely the domain of my Myspace blog (viewable only to confirmed friends on the site).

That said, some entries here will still feature varying degrees of viewability, based on content.

Finally I'd like to say that I really appreciate the built-in spell-check feature provided here (not sure if that is a service of LJ or if it's simply built into firefox, but either way it sure helps).  I only wish that it would give corrections when I right-click, like firefox does elsewhere. Also- I'm now beginning to wonder if it is simply not possible to paste content into this 'journal,' or if my browser is having issues. Looking into that after this.

Anyhow, here's to good sleep, old friends and new challenges.

Cheers.