bbcuk--2019-12-06--General election 2019: Nine big things that haven't cut through

Plenty of promises have been made by politicians in the election campaign - but what big issues haven't cut through?  1. The UK's role in the world  One of Prime Minister Boris Johnson's favourite slogans, Global Britain, doesn't actually appear in the Conservative manifesto. There have been arguments about potential post-Brexit trade deals with the US.  Global issues such as climate change have featured prominently. And international issues were discussed during the Nato summit. But in-depth discussions about the kind of relationship the UK might want with the rest of the EU, if Brexit was to happen, have largely been avoided.  Trade talks, both with the EU and other countries around the world, could be a dominant political issue for years to come. But the choices that would have to be made, and the effect they could have on businesses up and down the country, haven't been addressed in any detail. • Brexit: What trade deals has the UK done so far?  More than 78,000 children in England are now being cared for by local authorities, according to the latest official statistics - a new high. And in the last decade, the number of inquiries carried out because of fears a child is at risk, has increased by 139%, or 120,000. At the same time, council budgets have been cut.  The problems of increasing demand and shrinking finances are well known to politicians from the crisis in adult social care. But the acute difficulties also facing children's services have not been high-profile during the election.  The major party manifestos acknowledge the system's need for review and investment, but timescales are less clear. • Labour will review the care system and rebuild early intervention • The Conservatives will review the care system and improve the Troubled Families programme • The Lib Dems will invest in children's centres and increase free childcare  The reasons for the pressures are complicated but academics say rising poverty and cuts to services providing early support for problems are factors. Councils have a legal duty to step in if a child needs protecting and many are overspending to do this.  It is a growing, unpredictable cost pushing more and more authorities towards a financial precipice. Tragically, it is also a sign many young lives are in turmoil. • How children's services cuts are affecting one family  Universities have been under the cosh over high fees, grade inflation and overpaying their bosses. So the talk has been about curbing their ambitions. But this entirely ducks the urgent need to expand university places, because they are facing a massive demographic bulge.  In the past decade the school population has risen by more than 725,000 - and this surge is about to hit universities. The Higher Education Policy Institute suggests another 300,000 university places will be needed in the next decade to keep pace.  It would be the equivalent of 12 new universities the size of those in Warwick or Southampton, or 20 the size of the Universities of Hull or Essex. Families with ambitions for their children to go to university are unlikely to accept them being squeezed out.  And this could be an opportunity to build entirely new universities to regenerate areas. But, so far, there are no signs of planning for something imminently needed. • Could changes in university funding limit student places?  The number of free cash machines is falling and politicians have been clamouring for machine operators and banks to do more over the past couple of years.  In their manifestos, Labour says it will ban ATM charges and the SNP says it will fight against ATM closures.  Being able to take cash out has become harder in recent years. And, according to consumer group Which?, machines are disappearing fastest in the poorest areas of the country. The UK is certainly moving towards becoming a cashless society but it's a way off giving up physical money altogether.  It is not just the elderly who are struggling. Within the past couple of weeks, another IT failure at TSB has shown the hot water people find themselves in when payments are not made and they cannot get hold of cash. • Free cash machines vanishing at alarming rate, says Which? • Cash or no cash - where do you stand?  Something almost all the parties have ducked is the nightmare question of how to handle rising seas: which areas of the country to save and which to abandon. Only the Labour Party's manifesto mentions a key phrase, "managed realignment", which, in the language of flood planners, is code for drawing a new coastline.  As the oceans warm and the ice caps melt, the level of the waters is increasing - only by a few millimetres a year but raising the spectre of having to decide where to invest in coastal defences and where not to.  Stretches of the Lincolnshire coast - the Humber estuary, Norfolk, and the west coast of Wales - are among the UK's vulnerable areas. The awkward fact is despite all the pledges for boosted spending on flood protection, there is nowhere near enough funding to keep the entire UK shore safe.  The Treasury allocates funding in a way that favours urban areas, so cities and towns get new barriers. By and large, villages and farmland lose out and almost certainly will in future. But which politician wants to say that out loud? • Listen: The UK villages feeling the impact of climate change • Five ways climate change could affect the UK • POLICY GUIDE: Who should I vote for? • POLLS: How are the parties doing? • A TO Z: Our tool to explain election words  No party's manifesto contains the unpopular measures required to fix growing generational inequality. For young people to afford family homes would require not just cheaper mortgages but lower house prices.  Those wanting to climb the housing ladder would benefit because, other things being equal, the price of their current place would fall by less than that of the one they were buying. But a policy goal of lower house prices might frighten floating voters.  To help the housing crisis, parties have come up with some policies: • The Conservatives say they will introduce new long-term fixed rate mortgages • Labour says it will deliver a new social housebuilding programme of more than a million homes over a decade • The Lib Dems say they will build at least 100,000 homes for social rent each year • The Green Party says it will let local councils bring empty houses back into use.  Meanwhile, pensioners' incomes (net of housing costs) are now higher than those of people of working age. Why then do working people pay higher taxes for state pensions to rise, despite being on lower incomes than the minority of those who benefit?  The answer lies, one suspects, in the grey vote. Cutting universal pensioner benefits or scrapping the triple-lock state pension protection might make fiscal sense. It's absent from the manifestos, one suspects, because lots of pensioners make sure they vote. • Under-30s 'spend less than same age group in 2001' • Seven reasons it helps to have rich parents  It's set to cost £9.3bn and is one of the largest and most complex projects ever undertaken by the Home Office. But there is no mention in any manifesto of the Emergency Services Network (ESN), a new communications system for the police, fire and ambulance services in England, Scotland and Wales, which has been beset by delays and overspends.  ESN is due to replace the current service, Airwave, in 2022, but the National Audit Office says "significant risks" with the project remain and it's unlikely to be delivered on time.  There will be huge questions for the incoming home secretary and ministers about whether to persevere with ESN, what the timescale should be if they do and how the programme should be managed - but voters are none the wiser.  The UK has lost the savings habit. An estimated 11 million people do not have £100 to fall back on, leaving finances exposed to an unexpected bill. The official savings ratio - the proportion of income after tax people save - has been low in the past three years (6.8% at the last count, compared with up to 14.4% during the 1990s).  For those who do still put money aside, the rewards have been pitiful owing to historically low interest rates and the Bank of England pumping more money into the economy, leaving little incentive for banks to offer better rates to savers.  All ages are affected - from youngsters to pensioners - and yet, there are no policies to promote saving for a rainy day and none offering a better outlook for committed savers aside from pensions. Some say the state should concentrate on building a stronger economy to bring these rewards.  Campaigners would say political parties always have plenty to say about helping those already in debt but little about shoring up finances with savings to prevent those debts building up in the first place. • Final day for Help to Buy Isa applications • Pension savers 'cash in, but lose out'  This can be one of the most visible and upsetting changes to High Streets - often more shocking in towns where begging would until recently have been unknown. People might feel sorry for those begging but also unhappy about a sense of decline and neglect in the communities where they live.  None of the parties directly addresses the increased visibility of begging, whether on the streets or on public transport. It is not the same as homelessness or rough sleeping, which are addressed in manifestos.  Begging touches on all kinds of sensitive topics - poverty, inequality, addictions, mental-health provision, migration and family breakdown - as well as housing and a sense of towns being left behind.  Should there be more interventionist support or more penalties? In their manifestos, Labour, the Lib Dems, the Green Party and Plaid Cymru support scrapping the Vagrancy Act (which allows the police to arrest rough sleepers) to protect the homeless.  But what should be the response of the incoming government? • Begging could be banned from Birmingham city centre  Clarification and update, 6 December, 2019: An earlier version of this article said that children's services were not on the election agenda; that politicians had been quiet on the subject of free ATMs; that "some MPs" had supported scrapping the Vagrancy Act. These points have now been clarified.  What do the parties offer?  What are the parties promising you?  Here's a concise guide to where the parties stand on key issues like Brexit, education and the NHS.


birminghammail--2019-01-13--New childrens role play city is launching in Birmingham - and it looks seriously fun

New children’s role play city is launching in Birmingham - and it looks seriously fun

A new family attraction is launching in the city this spring.  MiniBrum will be a child-sized mini-city specifically for under eights.  Designed around role play, it will feature shops, market stalls, a park, a construction site, a health clinic, a home and a workshop for building and testing cars.  “MiniBrum is child-sized mini-city where under eights can explore the amazing world of science and engineering, and learn about the body, the city, and the environment,” said a spokeswoman for the project.  There will also be discovery zones especially for babies and toddlers too.  The new £2 million attraction is being built at Thinktank, Birmingham’s award-winning science museum, in the city centre.  It is due to launch in Spring 2019.  Lots for little ones to do!  “If you’ve visited Thinktank, chances are you’ve come across Kids’ City,” she added.  “With this gallery being so popular, we have been developing a new, larger gallery that builds on these ideas and themes in an exciting way.  “The new gallery will quadruple Thinktank’s dedicated area for under eights and is a creative city where children will explore and learn together.”  MiniBrum promises to be full of role play and problem-solving activities, including:  • A health clinic where you can learn about the body  • An invention workshop where you can build and test cars  • A mini running track where children can test their speed  • A children’s museum with objects selected by kids from historic collections  • The Den - a purpose-built classroom for a new science education programme for younger children  Thinktank is where we held our Brummie Mummies Storytelling Social with BB Taylor - watch the video and find out more about our event here  She said: “The innovative gallery has been created for kids by kids through collaboration with families and schoolchildren, who have played an active role in deciding how the space looks and what’s included.  “There’s still more to be announced too.”  The project has been given the go ahead after its owner Birmingham Science Museum received £1.4 million from the Inspiring Science Fund, a partnership between the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and science charity Wellcome.  It adds to £75,000 in funding the project received from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and charity the Wolfson Foundation in January.  Parents and family groups will be catered for with a café, lockers and buggy park within the new gallery.  Entry to MiniBrum will be included in the Thinktank entrance fee.  Tickets cost £13.50 for adults, £9.75 for children (aged 3 to 15) and children under 3 go free.  Family tickets start at £33 for a family of three and £41 for a family of four.  It’s hoped the new attraction will open in spring 2019.  Once launched, it will have the same opening hours as the rest of Thinktank.  Thinktank is open seven days a week (including Bank Holidays) from 10am to 5pm. Last admission is 4pm.  Thinktank has more than 200 hands-on displays from steam engines and talking robots through to gurgling guts and a chocolate wrapping machine!  There are four floors to explore plus a science garden, which also features lots of interactive games to play and challenges to try.  Find out more here  It’s not far from Bullring and Grand Central.  To keep updated on family things to do in Birmingham, like our Brummie Mummies Facebook page.  You can also sign up to our weekly Brummie Mummies email newsletter


birminghammail--2019-01-27--This is Birminghams best primary school - and why its so brilliant

This is Birmingham's best primary school - and why it's so brilliant

In fact, it had only avoided going into special measures by the 'skin of its teeth.'  Today, it is the best primary school in Birmingham, according to our Real School Guide.  And, it's rated in the top five per cent of primary schools in the whole of the UK.  Lozells is said to be the sixth most deprived ward of the 40 wards in Birmingham.  Some 34.8 per cent of pupils at Heathfield Primary are eligible for free school meals - 21.9 per cent higher than the national average for primary academies.  So, what has happened to make the this school so brilliant?  We went to have a look around and meet Head of School Shabana Amir-Baz, a veritable 'wonder woman' who has four children of her own ....  "Some of the children arrive in reception still in nappies, and have never opened a book before," said Ms Amir-Baz, 47, who previously worked at Stanton Bridge Primary in Coventry.  "We offer pastoral care and have the capacity to support them emotionally and focus on their wellbeing, treating each child as if they are our own."  Take a look at the best primary schools in Birmingham  Heathfield is part of a multi-school academy, which includes Prince Albert Junior and Infant in Aston, Birchfield Community and Highfield in Saltey, which was one of the Trojan Horse schools.  CEO of the Prince Albert Community Trust Sajid Gulzar said: "Heathfield is in a neighbourhood where there are high levels of crime and social breakdown and issues with housing.  "But we don't want our narrative to be about us being in a less affluent area. We've turned that on its head by saying we want our children to be even better than everyone else."  Sajid Gulzar and Shabana Amir-Baz arrived at Heathfield in February 2013.  "Five years ago, the quality of education at Heathfield was really poor and the parents were not happy," said Mr Gulzar, who was born and raised in inner city Birmingham.  "At an inspection in November 2103, we avoided special measures by the skin of our teeth due to support we were putting in.  "The outcomes of what we've achieved are evident but it's been a slow process.  "We started by really raising expectations - this is a 'no excuses' school.  "We have high expectations of the children, parents and staff and we only have people at the school who really believe this - people who see teaching as a vocation - because we want to give our children the best possible provision.  "We are not an exam factory, it's about developing the children as people, as learners who understand why they are in school and who really enjoy their time at school.  "It's about making sure no child falls through the net.  "Regardless of what's going on at home, we want them to get the best education possible. We appreciate there may be social problems and we cater for them. "  Take a look at the best primary schools in the West Midlands  Shabana Amir-Baz explains how they've turned the school around:  There's a happy and welcoming vibe as soon as you walk into the school, which has a two-form entry and 485 pupils with around 30 in each class.  The children are polite and smart but also very smiley and talkative.  Written work is hung proudly outside every single classroom, and the improvement between each year's work is remarkable.  Coats and bags are hung neatly rather than being slung on the floor.  Ms Amir-Baz assures us there's not been a quick tidy up ahead of our arrival.  "If your environment is tidy and clear so is your mind," she smiles.  "A lot of it is about teaching the children life skills. This includes dinner time too. Some children don't know how to use a knife and fork when they arrive, having always eaten curry and chapatis with their fingers at home.  "We teach them life skills, like etiquette, they'll need in the future that are not just based around the curriculum."  A child-led approach to learning is adopted in many classes. We witnessed a science class where children were working in groups to 'mummify' an apple, with each taking on a role as instruction reader, note taker and photographer.  "We like to promote independent learning. You know the quiet one at the back, or the thumb twiddler? This brings them out and enables them to utilise what they're good at it.  "It gives them management skills at a very young age."  Despite there being no green space at the school, with just a concrete playground for the children to play on at break times, the children still do well in sports competitions. They walk to nearby fields for outdoor PE.  Crime levels and housing issues in the local neighbourhood can end up impacting on pupils within the school.  "From time to time these issues do impact on our families and what happens in school," said Mr Gulzar.  "We have had cause to refer families to food banks and to help families who have been made homeless.  "We set up a Hardship Fund across the Trust to help families who need additional support because of challenges in their neighbourhood.  "By having that support mechanism and that level of pastoral care, staff are really motivated to help."  More than 13 different ethnicities feature within the school's staff, with teachers from India, Pakistan, Kashmir, Jamaica, Bangladesh, Africa, Vietnam, Kurdistan, Poland and Cyprus.  A sign hangs in the main hall saying: "We all smile in the same language."  The school's values were drawn up with parents several years ago and they are illustrated on the walls too. They feature the words: Communication, Honesty, Respect, Commitment, Motivation, Teamwork and United We Are World Class.  The school operates an 'open door' policy and has a pastoral care room, where any pupil or parent can drop in to talk about what's happening to them.  There's also lots of work done with the community, with parents workshops on the importance of healthy lifestyles, diet and exercise.  "Parents do like to take advantage of this," said Ms Amir-Baz.  "Our assemblies are normally standing room only and we like to invite parents from a different year group into school each week to see what their children are doing and to 'learn' with them."  The school enjoys average attendance figures of around 97 per cent, well above the national average.  "Just getting the children into school can be a real challenge, especially in more deprived areas. But we don't have that problem because the children enjoy being here," said Mr Gulzar.  The food is good too, with lasagnes, roast dinners and pizzas being freshly prepared in the school kitchen. The children also have a salad bar too.  More than half the children who come into reception at Heathfield have never been to nursery or pre-school.  Some have developed with their parents help but many have never put pen to paper or opened a book.  The free flow classroom (where children are able to choose their play) most people will recognise in reception is continued through to Year 1 at Heathfield.  "We think it's too much to expect children to go from a free flow classroom in reception straight into a formal setting in year one," said Ms Amir-Baz.  "All the curriculum is covered but in a free flow setting which promotes independent learning and boosts confidence."  That's not to say it's all about play - the writing on the wall is testament to that, as is the fact the children start learning Mandarin in reception too!  Teachers don't tend to give pupils much homework at Heathfield.  "We're not big on homework," said Mr Gulzar.  "Instead we think enjoying time at home with family is really important.  "If we do set homework, it will be a bit of reading or something that sparks discussion amongst the family rather than a worksheet."  Homework only starts to become more formal in Year 6 in preparation for secondary school.  There are lots of free after school clubs and school trips too, such as visits to Old Trafford, Wembley and to the Big Bang Show in Birmingham NEC.  They also visit colleges and universities too and going to a debating session with other schools at Birmingham Council House soon too.  "We want to give them as broad an experience as possible," said Ms Amir-Baz.  "It's about showing them the bigger picture, the outside world to help to build aspirations."  "This is aided by really high quality teaching throughout," said Mr Gulzar, "as it would be a waste of time giving them these aspirations if the teaching wasn't good enough."  The school also puts on performances with last year's Year 6 coming together to work on acting, singing, props, set and costumes to put on an impressive performance of McBeth.  All the children are encouraged to play a musical instrument and to have a go at being a junior librarian.  Staff wellbeing is very important throughout the Prince Albert Community Trust.  There are lots of PLD (Professional Learning Development) opportunities for all the teachers across the schools.  "Many schools expect their teachers to stay until 7pm at night but if I'm here after 6pm, people say what are you doing?" said Ms Amir-Baz, who lives on the outskirts of Dudley.  "It enables me to take care of my four children successfully too as school is not impacting on my home life."  The school has decided to reduce the amount of marking teachers have to do too with feedback being given verbally instead. And they say this has had a positive impact on pupils too.  Being part of a 'family of schools' means the teaching staff can work together across the group and no teacher, even the head, feels on their own.  Most pupils arrive below the national average and they leave at or well above the national average.  Many teachers and educational specialists have visited the school to try to find out its 'secret' - they even had a visit from the Minister of Education for the Cayman Islands who wanted to know how the school got its outcomes.  Ms Amir-Baz said: "We say to them it's not something that happens overnight, there are no gimmicks or quick fixes.  "It's come from a gradual, sustained approach and having everyone on board.  "It's about a great senior leadership team. We have an amazing team of assistant and deputy heads - Mrs Richards, Mrs Atherton, Mrs Kamran and Mrs Davin."  Mr Gulzar added: "When we arrived, the school was broken and failing. It's been five years in the making, it was 10 years for Prince Albert Junior and Infant.  "It's about building long term sustainability - schools that are so well run they can cope with the head teacher being away for a week.  "It's about everyone working together."  To keep updated on family things to do in Birmingham, like our Brummie Mummies Facebook page.  You can also sign up to our weekly Brummie Mummies email newsletter


birminghammail--2019-02-14--Girl battered by bullies in shocking video EXCLUDED from school for bringing it into disrepute

Girl battered by bullies in shocking video EXCLUDED from school 'for bringing it into disrepute'

A helpless girl who was battered by a gang of vicious bullies has been excluded for "fighting and bringing the school into disrepute".  April Ward, aged 12, required hospital treatment after a sickening assault which was recorded and uploaded onto social media .  The footage of the mob attack on Kingstanding Road went viral last week (February 6).  The Year 8 pupil - who attends Cardinal Wiseman Catholic School - was surrounded before being beaten and booted as she screamed for help before falling to the ground. Watch the shocking footage above.  Just 24 hours after the video was shared on Facebook, the victim's family wanted everyone to see exactly what happened.  And, after vowing her daughter would never return to Cardinal Wiseman , mum Roxanne Jones has spoken of her outrage - after the Kingstanding school issued her with a letter outlining how April has been excluded.  Mum Miss Jones fumed: "Today I received a letter from Cardinal Wiseman Catholic Technology College saying my daughter has been excluded.  "Is this school kidding me?  "My daughter got punched, kicked, hair pulled, abused by a group of students from Cardinal Wiseman.  "I can't explain how frustrated, angry and hurt I am for my daughter.  "The fact that she has to relive this moment and then to be penalised her education... it's disgusting."  The letter addressed to Miss Jones explained how bully victim April has been excluded for an initial five-day period between February 8 and February 14.  "This means that April will not be allowed in this school for this period," the letter read.  "April is not to visit the school premises or its neighbouring area during this exclusion.  "The decision to exclude April has not been taken lightly.  "April has been excluded for this fixed period because of: Fighting and bringing the school into disrepute.  "As the parent / carer you have a duty to ensure that April is not present in a public place in school hours during this exclusion unless there is reasonable justification for this.  "I must advise you that you may receive a penalty notice form the local authority if April is present in a public place during school hours on the specified date(s).  "If so, it will be for you to show reasonable justification.  "This sanction will of course be entered on April's school record.  "I reserve the right to extend this exclusion or convert to a permanent exclusion if necessary. If this should be the case I will, of course, inform you immediately."  On Friday, mum Miss Jones said she would keep her daughter at home, and vowed: "She'll never go back to that school."  The 29-year-old was in floods of tears after watching her 12-year-old daughter April being  punched and kicked on Kingstanding Road .  A video of the attack  went viral just moments after it happened on Wednesday - and was watched by thousands on social media.  Speaking to BirminghamLive, she said: "The way she was circled and ganged up on on her way home knocked me sick.  "She was battered. The reason why we want everyone to see this video is to show everyone what these kids have done.  "We want their parents to see, we want the police to see, we want them to see what they've done to April. She's not going back to that school, end of. She's suffered too much. I'm contemplating home school.  "She needs a fresh start now away from that school. She's not going back."  The victim's aunt, Tasha Jones added: "April's still crying. She's not sleeping of a night - it's all playing over in her head.  "The letter Roxanne got on Wednesday was disgusting. She could not get her breath. Are they not forgetting how April was surrounded by about 20 kids and was punched and battered in the street?  "Everyone's seen the video - and she's being the one punished for it? It's having such an effect on her. She doesn't want to sit around with her family, she's suffering from anxiety and all sorts.  BirminghamLive has approached the school for a comment.  In a statement addressed to BirminghamLive last week, Cardinal Wiseman Catholic School headteacher Rob Swanwick confirmed an internal investigation is underway.  He said: "An incident took place after school on February 6 at an off-site location. An investigation is underway and we are assisting the police with this matter. At this stage of the investigation we cannot comment any further."  Rebecca Collins : F****** sickening this is I am lost for words  Kelly Byrne : I actually can’t believe what I’m reading that school is an absolute disgrace!!!  Sian Phipps : This is disgusting rocky wtf what has happened to all the children involved in attacking her nothing I bet absolutely outrageous x  Diane Yates : Please please please report this to the LEA and OFSTED. That school needs lookin too  Gemma Flynn : Terrible this is her local school and they kick her out joke them kids prob don't even live round her makes ya sick hope April is ok x  Marlaine Houlihan : All because bought school into disrepute April will be victimised further sickening  Angela Davies : I can not believe this!!! Excluded for being set upon by a group of bullies. don’t they think she has been through enough?? What a disgrace of a school  Naomi Minto : It's a shame that April has been excluded. I hope the children involved have also been held to account for their actions.


birminghammail--2019-03-17--Sir Lenny Henry says THIS can help tackle Birmingham knife crime epidemic

Sir Lenny Henry wants to see paintbrushes in children's hands instead of knives and says arts clubs can provide a safe space for young people.  The comedian told more than 1,000 school leaders that after school groups can keep youngsters out of trouble and danger - out of a gang.  Addressing them at the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) conference in Birmingham, he said it was right that conversations about knife crime were being held.  Fresh from appearing on Friday night's coverage of Red Nose Day, he said: "None of us here today have all the answers.  "But I do know that working in an artistic environment with access to artistic creativity helps people come up with creative solutions to difficult problems.  "It is a mixture of creativity, mediation, brainstorming, and then building on those things to reach an achievable goal."  He added: "Arts education can provide safe spaces like clubs or after school groups that can keep young people out of trouble and danger - out of a gang.  "Because - let's think about this - isn't gang just another word for a company, or a cast? Isn't it just the wrong type of collaboration?  "I want to see a world where young people are encouraged to collaborate in a positive way, to dream, play, improvise, doodle, be creative.  "I want to see paintbrushes in their hands, not knives. I want to replace stop and search with shut up and dance."  Ofsted chief Amanda Spielman also briefly touched on the issue of knife crime when she delivered a keynote speech at the conference.  Speaking later to reporters, she said the time people are most concerned about, and are at the greatest risk, is roughly between 4pm and 6pm - once school is done for the day.  She added: "Children are not a school's responsibility at that point.  "It is very much for parents to work out what their children are doing and where and to what extent they ought to be at home or supervised.  "To think about that period of time and to work out how best to make sure that if the child needs looking after, they are looked after.  "If they are past the age of being looked after in that way, that they are occupied constructively."  Asked whether keeping schools open later was an option, Ms Spielman acknowledged the practice could work but said schools could not be mandated to do so without extra financial provision.  In her speech, the head of the inspections body said the "failures of parents" were part of wider social problems, giving the example of some children starting primary schools without having been potty trained.  She was questioned on if it was fair to attack parents, some of whom were struggling with basics like providing clothes for their children.  Ms Spielman replied: "Nobody is being attacked. There have always through history been parents who are very poor and have immense challenges making ends meet.  "We know that there are people who arrive in this country who have very limited family to fall back on and of course there are going to be some tough cases and we need to make sure we have the structures to handle.  "But I don't think we should leap from that to say schools should be quasi-parents."


freedombunker--2019-04-19--Researchers Restored Biological Function In Dead Pig Brainsand Raised Some Interesting Ethics Quest

Researchers Restored Biological Function In Dead Pig Brains—and Raised Some Interesting Ethics Questions

Philosopher Hilary Putnam famously proposed a thought experiment in which you are actually a brain nestled in a vat that has been hooked up by an evil scientist to a computer that perfectly simulates the experiences of the outside world. How can you tell that you are not, in fact, a brain in a vat?  Researchers at Yale University have taken a step toward making something like that thought experiment possible by successfully reviving some of the biological functions of brains from pigs slaughtered hours earlier. The researchers achieved this milestone by pumping into these dead pig brains their BrainEx formula, "a hemoglobin-based, acellular, non-coagulative, echogenic, and cytoprotective perfusate that promotes recovery from anoxia, reduces reperfusion injury, prevents edema, and metabolically supports the energy requirements of the brain."  It has long been medical dogma that brain cells cut off from oxygen die within minutes. In this case, revived brain cells began metabolizing again. This research raises two ethical issues: (1) how might this effect organ donation, and (2) should we worry about disembodied pig consciousness?  In 1968, a committee of ethicists and physicians convened at Harvard to define brain death as irreversible coma in which patients have no discernible central nervous system activity. The organs of such brain dead individuals could be harvested for transplantation into other patients. But what if something like BrainEx could, in the future, revive the brains of folks who heretofore have been declared brain dead? That might well reduce the number of potential organ donors from the 10,000 or so whose organs are harvested every year in the United States.  What about pig consciousness? Regulations that cover animal experimentation do not apply to dead animals. Nevertheless, the Yale researchers dosed their BrainEx with chemicals to block neural activity in the pigs' brains to try to ensure they never became conscious. They were also ready to administer anesthesia if the brains exhibited any electrical activity that would suggest communication between the revived neurons. No signs of porcine consciousness were detected.  What would a "conscious" pig brain in a vat experience? Likely not pain, since brains do not have pain receptors. If a brain is receiving no outside sensory information, would that induce terror or satori?  One other implication of this research is that improved versions of BrainEx could make possible whole body transplants of the sort being proposed by Italian neurosurgeon Sergio Canavero.


naturalnews--2019-03-23--Researchers study fungi to turn food waste into sustainable bioplastic

(Natural News) In a world in which 9 million people die from hunger each year, it’s absolutely unacceptable that 40 percent of all foods are wasted. The food industry is responsible for creating high amounts of biodegradable waste, and finding ways to put this waste to good use could have a significant positive impact on the planet. Thankfully, researchers like those at the University of Boras in Sweden are exploring novel ways to reuse food waste and transform it into more useful material.  The university is considered a national leader in fungi, and its researchers have been studying the potential of thread-forming fungus for many years. In fact, they have an entire team of researchers devoted to finding new ways to solve the problem of food waste.  The subject of one doctoral thesis at the school by Pedro F. Souza Filho showcased an interesting approach to using four common types of food waste that are normally discarded from the production of foods like orange juice, wheat starch, pea protein and potato starch.  Souza Filho grew a special type of filamentous fungus on the waste, which created a protein-rich biomass that can be used and then returned to the food production cycle.  There are several potential applications for this type of biomass. For example, a feed made with this type of fungal protein could be given to fish that are grown for human consumption instead of feeding them other, smaller fish, reducing wastage all around and helping the environment.  Perhaps one of the most exciting applications is that the fungi could also be used to create bioplastics that don’t pollute the environment the way that oil-based plastics do. He is working on cultivating fungus on wheat to create bioplastics, and when he returns to his native Brazil, he hopes to use cacti as the source material. (Related: Researchers develop blend of bioplastics that can decompose under diverse conditions.)  100% organic essential oil sets now available for your home and personal care, including Rosemary, Oregano, Eucalyptus, Tea Tree, Clary Sage and more, all 100% organic and laboratory tested for safety. A multitude of uses, from stress reduction to topical first aid. See the complete listing here, and help support this news site.  Senior lecturer Akram Zamani is working on a project that could see bioplastic created using the residues that come from producing citrus fruit juices. Around 15 million tons of citrus waste are generated each year from juice production, so the potential here is enormous. When the thread-forming fungus is added to this type of waste, it grows. Researchers are then able to extract chitosan from it, which is mixed with pectin from the fruit to form polymers.  She’d like to produce a biological type of cling film that can resist carbon dioxide, oxygen and steam. She says there is a huge amount of interest from industry in creating this type of product, and it’s easy to see why.  Zamani is also working on creating superabsorbents from the cell walls of fungi that could be used for products like diapers and sanitary towels. The cell walls of fungus boast natural antibacterial properties, making them ideal for combating bacterial growth and unpleasant odors. They would be recyclable, and no oil would be needed to produce them.  Professor of Bioprocess Technology Mohammad Taherzadeh has been working with an edible fungus known as Neurospora intermedia that can produce ethanol using waste and residue. He discovered this fungus’ potential 16 years ago, and he likens it to a Swiss army knife in the sense that it’s compact yet has many important uses. Edible fungus, he says, won’t hurt the environment, making it a great material to work with.  The work being carried out by these researchers could address two big problems at once: food waste and the need for biodegradable and sustainable materials that won’t hurt the environment. Hopefully these projects will inspire others to find new ways to minimize our impact on the planet.


naturalnews--2019-02-25--Biologists Pesticide regulations designed to protect bees are failing

Biologists: Pesticide regulations designed to protect bees are failing

(Natural News) Bees, like many of the world’s insects, are in crisis, and their numbers are dwindling at an alarming rate. At the same time, the world’s population – and its reliance on insect-pollinated crops – continues to grow at an equally alarming pace. The bees might be in crisis right now, but pretty soon it will be humans who are in really serious trouble.  While the world’s governments have started to wake up to the dangers pesticides pose to honeybees, a series of studies by the University of Guelph, published in the journal Environmental Entomology recently, warns that these measures are not enough. They also warn that other species of bees, including bumblebees and solitary bees, are at least as important as the honeybee when it comes to the pollination of food, and yet these species have, for the most part, been virtually ignored in terms of pesticide risk assessment measures. (Related: As global insect population plunges toward total ecological collapse, the corporate-run media still censors the truth about GMOs and pesticides.)  The studies were based on a group of workshops held in Canada in 2017, which were attended by 40 bee researchers from a variety of educational institutes, as well as representatives of regulatory agencies and agrochemical companies.  Science Daily reported that the research confirmed that habitat loss, pathogens and widespread pesticide use continue to have a dire impact on insect populations worldwide. And this is true, not just of honeybees, but of all bees as well as many other types of insects.  The power of the elements: Discover Colloidal Silver Mouthwash with quality, natural ingredients like Sangre de Drago sap, black walnut hulls, menthol crystals and more. Zero artificial sweeteners, colors or alcohol. Learn more at the Health Ranger Store and help support this news site.  “There is evidence that our dependency on insect-pollinated crops is increasing and will continue to do so as the global population rises,” study co-author Professor Nigel Raine told Science Daily. “With growing demands for crop pollination outstripping increases in honeybee stocks, protecting wild pollinators is more important now than ever before. Honeybees alone simply cannot deliver the crop pollination services we need.”  While governments have focused their efforts on protecting honeybees, Raine warns that wild bees are even more important to food pollination than farmed bees. Very few studies have focused exclusively on the effects of pesticides on adult and larval wild bees when they are exposed to these chemicals through their food sources or the soil they live in.  The scientists involved in the latest research are particularly concerned about the effects of pesticides on bumblebees. Bumblebee queens, for example, have a different life cycle to honeybee queens, and this makes them experience more contact with pesticides in the course of their lifespans.  “That’s a critical difference because the loss of a single bumblebee queen translates into the loss of the colony that she would have produced. It’s one queen, but it’s a whole colony at risk,” noted Angela Gradish, one of the study’s lead authors.  Both honeybees and bumblebees forage on many different types of flowering plants. The bumblebee is at greater risk of pesticide exposure, however, because it is larger and carries more pollen around between plants. It also forages when there is less light and when weather is cooler, which is not typical of honeybees.  The massive bee and insect crisis gets far less coverage in the mainstream media than the unsubstantiated theory of global warming. In the meantime, while the problem is largely ignored, pollinators continue to die off at an alarming rate. Governments around the globe need to step in quickly and take decisive steps to halt the use of pesticides in conventional farming. If they do not, the future of our own species will begin to look as bleak as that of the world’s insects.


naturalnews--2019-09-27--Biologists identify the protein that makes tendon-muscle connections last a lifetime

(Natural News) The collaboration between muscles and tendons is important for facilitating animal movement. Muscles are contractile tissues whose function is to produce force and motion. What keeps muscles in place and attaches them to the bones is a strong and flexible connective tissue called tendon.  Muscles and tendons are connected to each other by attachments, which are designed to withstand high amounts of mechanical forces throughout an animal’s lifetime. In a study published in PLOS Biology, researchers from the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry in Germany investigated how these mechanical forces are sensed and transmitted in an intact organism. Using Drosophila (fruit fly) as their experimental model, they quantified the mechanical forces transmitted by talin, an essential integrin-binding protein. They found that despite being abundantly present in muscle-tendon attachments, only a small portion of talin molecules deal with mechanical forces at the same time. These molecules, however, dynamically share the mechanical load to provide support and stability to muscle-tendon attachments.  During the early stages of development, the cells of an organism are subjected to various mechanical forces that eventually dictate cell fate. To help them sense and resist these forces, cells rely on integrin-based adhesions, which serve as their core force-sensing structures.  Integrins are cell-surface proteins that act as receptors. One of their main functions is to regulate the interaction of individual cells with their microenvironment to control cell fate. Integrins are attached to one end of the protein talin, which connects it to the actin-myosin cytoskeleton.  Sponsored solution from CWC Labs: This heavy metals test kit allows you to test almost anything for 20+ heavy metals and nutritive minerals, including lead, mercury, arsenic, cadmium, aluminum and more. You can test your own hair, vitamins, well water, garden soil, superfoods, pet hair, beverages and other samples (no blood or urine). ISO accredited laboratory using ICP-MS (mass spec) analysis with parts per billion sensitivity. Learn more here.  Actin is an integral part of the cytoskeleton that gives cells their structure and shape. Myosin, on the other hand, is a motor protein involved in cell motility. The interaction between these two proteins is what makes muscle contraction possible.  The position of talin — sandwiched between integrin and actin — gives it the perfect opportunity to process mechanical forces at the molecular level. Talin is not only important for stabilizing integrin-based adhesion, it also mediates cell signaling through its attachment to integrin, actin, and other proteins.  To determine how mechanical forces that influence cell fate are sensed and transmitted, the researchers studied the muscle attachment sites of fruit flies. These sites are subjected to high mechanical forces during development. The muscles in these sites also rely on integrin-mediated adhesion to connect them stably to tendons. (Related: Scientists find way to create working muscles from handful of skin cells in lab setting.)  The researchers generated fruit flies with built-in talin tension sensors to allow them to measure relevant molecular forces experienced by the protein. They found that talins in fruit flies encounter the same mechanical forces in vitro as talins in mammalian cell cultures. However, talin molecules operate differently in vivo.  The researchers discovered that, in live fruit flies, as muscle-tendon attachments mature, the forces across talin molecules decrease even while tissue-level tension remains high. Talin also increases in concentration at attachment sites, but only a small portion (less than 15 percent) is engaged by mechanical forces at any given time.  When the researchers reduced the concentration of talin at the later stages of muscle development, muscle-tendon attachments in adult flies ended up rupturing under the pressure exerted by muscle contractions. This demonstrated the importance of high levels of talin in maintaining stable muscle-tendon attachments. It also demonstrated how individual talin molecules work together and share high mechanical loads to fulfill their function.  “This mechanical adaptation concept ensures that muscle-tendon connections can last for life,” explained Sandra Lemke, one of the authors of the study.  Lemke and her team also believe that their findings show how cells can adapt to changes in tissue mechanics to prevent mechanical failure in vivo.


naturalnews--2019-10-06--Sailing scientists discover almost 200000 marine virus species Data can help biologists understand

Sailing scientists discover almost 200,000 marine virus species: Data can help biologists understand how viruses affect the marine ecosystem

(Natural News) The oceans contain far more species of viruses than previously believed. While not all of them are harmful to humans, they may exert a considerable effect on the environment.  Following an extended cruise around the world aboard a sailing ship, an international research team reported finding nearly 200,000 species of marine viruses. They released the details on the scientific journal Cell.  For context, earlier oceanic surveys cataloged 15,000 marine viral species. There are also roughly 2,000 genomes known to experts from studying viral cultures in the lab.  The discovery adds a new facet to the understanding of Earth and how the relationships between organisms may affect the planet.  “Viruses are these tiny things that you can’t even see, but because they’re present in such huge numbers, they really matter,” explained Ohio State University (OSU) Matthew Sullivan. “We’ve developed a distribution map that is foundational for anyone who wants to study how viruses manipulate the ecosystem.” (Related: Water pandemic: Airborne viruses found to survive for weeks in WATER… and most water filters can’t remove viruses.)  Not only did they come across many more marine viral species, but Sullivan’s team also discovered five viral ecological zones that divided the whole ocean. Each zone contained distinct populations of viruses.  The viral populations in each zone didn’t mix with the others, even though water from one region flowed into the neighboring areas and back.  Sponsored solution from CWC Labs: This heavy metals test kit allows you to test almost anything for 20+ heavy metals and nutritive minerals, including lead, mercury, arsenic, cadmium, aluminum and more. You can test your own hair, vitamins, well water, garden soil, superfoods, pet hair, beverages and other samples (no blood or urine). ISO accredited laboratory using ICP-MS (mass spec) analysis with parts per billion sensitivity. Learn more here.  Further, the researchers obtained plenty of viral samples in the Arctic Ocean. They even discovered a hotspot of biodiversity in the freezing waters of the region.  The discovery contrasts with how species diversity of more complex organisms peaks in warm areas near the equator while hitting rock bottom in the polar regions.  The Tara Oceans project provided the data for the recently published study. Researchers aboard the sail-powered science vessel Tara collected viral samples from 2009 to 2013.  The project itself started in 2006. Its goal was to conduct new and unique research into the oceans and their inhabitants.  Currently, researchers rotate in and out of the Tara. They draw water samples from various depths of many oceanic regions around the world.  Upon returning to shore, the water samples undergo filtration for viruses, other microorganisms, and tiny organic material like fish eggs. All organic matter obtained from the samples are sent to various laboratories for evaluation.  Sullivan indicated that the Tara project will eventually release studies on the microbial populations in the samples. He also noted the sizable amount of samples they got from the Arctic region, which earlier oceanic surveys neglected.  The latest findings of the Tara project may change the way researchers imagine the way ocean microbes affect their environment — and, in turn, humankind.  “In the last 20 years or so, we’ve learned that half of the oxygen that we breathe comes from marine organisms,” noted Sullivan. “Previous ocean ecosystem models have commonly ignored microbes, and rarely included viruses, but we now know they are a vital component to include.”  Given their massive numbers and diversity, marine viruses may play key roles in the ecosystem. Like any organic material, they are mostly made up of carbon. However, they don’t quite fit into the requirements for living organisms.  Viruses lack cells and are smaller than unicellular organisms like bacteria. They also do not follow the same biological process.  In essence, they are containers for genetic material. When they come into contact with living cells, viruses infect the unfortunate hosts to produce more of their kind.  The Tara researchers plan to identify the most numerous and widespread species of marine viruses for future investigation.


sputnik--2019-06-26--Biologists Find Funky Hallucinogenic Fungus Which Turn Bug Species Into Sex Zombies

Biologists Find Funky Hallucinogenic Fungus Which Turn Bug Species Into 'Sex Zombies'

Biologists from West Virginia University have discovered a bizarre fungal parasite which produces a set of hallucinogenic substances and prompts their buzzing victims to become "zombie-like fliers" attempting to mate with everything that moves even after the fungus had eaten away at their genitals and posteriors, Science Daily has reported.  "They're only zombies in the sense that the fungus is in control of their bodies," Dr. Matt Kasson, a plant and soil scientist and one of the coauthors of the study, explained.  The deadly fungus, known as Massospora, is said to contain a toxic psychoactive substance similar to that found in hallucinogenic mushrooms which causes male cicadas to continue flying and writhing around and mindlessly trying to infect others, including other males, long after the fungus has begun destroying their bodies. Spores known as conidia are spread from the flies' posterior during mating and flight.  Cicadas are thought to be infected by the fungus during their long years underground in their larval stage, which can last over a decade. They later emerge to the surface for a several-week period before dying.  "Infected adults maintain or accelerate normal host activity during sporulation, enabling rapid and widespread dispersal prior to host death," Kasson noted. "They also engage in hypersexual behaviours," he added. "Massospora effectively hijacks cicadas, turning them into efficient vectors for conidial transmission," the academic said.  The fascinating but somewhat horrifying discovery is a fresh example of the phenomenon of parasites hijacking the behaviour of their hosts. Earlier, scientists discovered that toxoplasma, a common parasite found in under-cooked, contaminated meat and infected cat feces, has the potential to 'reprogram' the minds of both humans and mice, making the former more prone to suicidal tendencies, and the latter fearless in the face of existential danger.  Dr. Kasson and his team's next step will be to re-sequence the fungus's genome and to analyse its behaviour at the genetic level on healthy and infected cicadas.  "We anticipate these discoveries will foster a renewed interest in early diverging fungi and their pharmacologically important secondary metabolites, which may serve as the next frontier for novel drug discovery," Kasson said.  The team's research will be published in the October 2019 edition of Fungal Ecology academic journal and can be found here.


theguardianuk--2019-07-03--Group of biologists tries to bury the idea that plants are conscious

The gardening gloves are off. Frustrated by more than a decade of research which claims to reveal intentions, feelings and even consciousness in plants, more traditionally minded botanists have finally snapped. Plants, they protest, are emphatically not conscious.  The latest salvo in the plant consciousness wars has been fired by US, British and German biologists who argue that practitioners of “plant neurobiology” have become carried away with the admittedly impressive abilities of plants to sense and react to their environments.  While plants may curl their leaves in response to touch, grow faster when competitors are near and spring traps when prey wanders into them, the vexed biologists argue that is no reason to believe they choose their actions, learn along the way or occasionally get hurt in the process, as some plant neurobiologists assert.  Bothered by claims that plants have “brain-like command centres” in their root tips, and possess the equivalent of animal nervous systems, the critics counter there is no proof of sentient vegetation or structures within plants that would grant them what the neuroscientist Antonio Damasio has called “the feeling of what happens”.  Writing in the journal Trends in Plant Science, where plant neurobiology made its debut in 2006, Lincoln Taiz, a botanist at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and seven like-minded researchers state: “There is no evidence that plants require, and thus have evolved, energy-expensive mental faculties, such as consciousness, feelings, and intentionality, to survive or to reproduce.”  Taiz told the Guardian: “Our criticism of the plant neurobiologists is they have failed to consider the importance of brain organisation, complexity and specialisation for the phenomenon of consciousness.”  The broadside drew a robust response from the University of Sydney’s Monica Gagliano, who conducts research on the cognitive abilities of plants, including perception, learning, memory and consciousness. She said the criticisms failed to take account of all the evidence and focused only on work that supported the authors’ viewpoint. “For me, the process of generating knowledge through rigorous science is about understanding the evidence base behind a claim,” she said. “Where is their experimental data? Or are we expected to just accept their claim at face value?”  Taiz draws on work by the US researchers Todd Feinberg and Jon Mallatt, who explore the origins of consciousness by comparing simple and more complex brains in animals. They conclude that while animals ranging from insects and crabs to cats and monkeys have sufficient brains to be conscious, other organisms fail the test. Those organisms include plants, Taiz argues.  The debate is shaping up to be the biggest botanical bunfight since the Romantic era when plant biologists argued for more than a century about sex in plants. As the purists argued nothing so obscene would be happening in flower beds, extremists on the sex side envisioned plants not only having sex but being full of lust and passion.  Taiz believes the rise of plant neurobiology is driven by the environmental crisis that poses an ever-increasing threat to life on Earth.  “They want to raise people’s consciousness about plants as living organisms and reach them on an emotional level. I’m very sympathetic to the motivations, but it is clouding their objectivity. They have to be prepared for the fact that plants may not have consciousness,” he said. “It’s bad science. It takes the whole scientific enterprise and reduces its credibility.”  But Gagliano is having none of it. “If we think we already know how things are and fail to continuously question our own assumptions, but construct our claims on a system of beliefs we are dearly attached to, then we are in deep trouble and miss the opportunity for true scientific discovery to occur.  “Miserably, this opinion piece seems yet another missed opportunity, one that makes strikingly no headway towards a better scientific understanding of what consciousness is.”  Where the debate leaves Prince Charles, who not only talks to his geraniums but positively instructs them, is unclear. “Far be it from me to criticise Prince Charles, or anyone else for that matter, for talking to their plants,” Taiz said. “I would indeed be concerned, however, if they ever talked back.”


theindependent--2019-04-10--Sydney Brenner Biologist who won a Nobel prize for bringing a worm to the attention of scientists

Sydney Brenner: Biologist who won a Nobel prize for bringing a worm to the attention of scientists

Nobel laureate Sydney Brenner escaped poverty in his native South Africa – and apartheid, which he resisted by raising funds for black students – to become a pivotal figure in molecular biology’s golden era. With the help of a translucent soil worm, the scientist, who died aged 92 in Singapore, provided vital clues to understanding diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer’s and Aids.  When James Watson and Francis Crick’s clocked the double-helix structure of the DNA molecule in 1953, decades of scientific discovery followed to which Brenner’s findings were key. Not least among these was the “central dogma” of biology: the idea that our DNA code instructs the building of proteins that sustain life in our cells.  For nearly 40 years, Brenner was based at the MRC (Medical Research Council) laboratory of molecular biology in Cambridge, where he shared an office with Crick. A sign they kept – “Reading rots the mind” – belied their dazzling work in pushing the frontiers of their profession.  Showing similar irreverence, Brenner submitted a manuscript to the Royal Society in London with a fake reference – “Leonardo da Vinci (personal communication)”. When Brenner was awarded his second Lasker Award for medical science, the Nobel prize winner Joseph Goldstein described him as “chutzpah” personified.  Brenner’s biographer, Errol Friedberg, noted that his disdain towards rules made him the “scourge of universities and institution administrators”. Any flashpoints, however, tended to be overshadowed by the major advances Brenner made in molecular biology.  At the Cambridge lab in the late 1960s, he undertook an ambitious search for a model organism to study complex animal development on a genetic level – uncharted territory at the time. He found his match in Caenorhabditis elegans, a millimetre-long, transparent roundworm that would lead him to the 2002 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for “seminal discoveries concerning the genetic regulation of organ development and programmed cell death”, which “have shed new light on the pathogenesis of many diseases”.  Then affiliated with the Molecular Sciences Institute in Berkeley, California, Brenner shared the honour with John Sulston of the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in Cambridge, and H Robert Horvitz of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.  With the three men as its champion, C. elegans pushed forward a new understanding of how our cells are programmed to proliferate, specialise and die. It became the first animal to have its complete genome sequenced – an important precedent for the Human Genome Project.  The humble worm’s DNA has turned out to be surprisingly similar to humans’ – an aid in understanding how our cells grow uncontrollably to cause cancer, and why they die in excess in neurodegenerative disorders, heart attacks and Aids. Picking the right animal to work on in biology, Brenner saw, was as important as asking the right questions.  “Without doubt,” he remarked in his Nobel lecture, “the fourth winner of the Nobel prize this year is Caenorhabditis elegans; it deserves all of the honour but, of course, it will not be able to share the monetary award.”  Sydney Brenner was born in Germiston, South Africa, in 1927, to Jewish emigre parents from eastern Europe. His father, a cobbler, could neither read nor write, although he could speak English, Yiddish, Russian and, after moving to South Africa in 1910, Afrikaans and Zulu.  The young man’s first home was in the back of his father’s shoe shop, two rooms he remembered smelling perpetually of leather. The public library became a haven, and it was there he found 1929’s The Science of Life, the three-volume tome, co-written by HG Wells, that first turned him on to biology.  Brenner entered medical school at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg aged 15. He did not like clinical practice, drawn as he was to the research lab. In 1952, he won a scholarship to study with chemist and future Nobel laureate Cyril Hinshelwood at Oxford. He received a doctorate in 1954.  In England, Brenner reunited with May Covitz Balkind, a fellow Witwatersrand student who had travelled to London to study psychology. They were married from 1952 until her death in 2010. Survivors include three children and a stepson.  Under Hinshelwood, Brenner joined a burgeoning group of thinkers who were forming the new field of molecular biology. On a cold morning in April 1953, he and three colleagues crammed into a car and drove to the Cavendish Laboratory in Cambridge, England, to see Watson and Crick’s model of the DNA double helix with their own eyes.  The moment was “the watershed in my scientific life”, Brenner wrote in his biographical notes for the Nobel prize. Brenner joined the Cavendish Lab in 1957 and, in a collaboration with Crick that year, they deduced that DNA was read as a triplet code, with each unit of three bases (named A, T, C, or G) corresponding to one of 20 protein building blocks. The lab formally merged later with biology groups at the university to become the MRC laboratory of molecular biology.  With future Nobel laureate François Jacob at the Pasteur Institute and Matthew Meselson at Harvard, Brenner proved in 1961 the existence of “messenger RNA”. The molecule, they found, is a key intermediary between DNA and protein – a translated version of the genetic code that is sent out to direct synthesis in the cell’s protein-making factories.  Brenner’s greatest skills, as he described in his 2001 memoir, My Life in Science, were in “getting things started”. For him, the fun of science was in “the opening game”.  And so with a basic understanding of DNA worked out by the late 1960s, he turned his sights towards a new project: studying the development, especially the brains, of higher organisms. After abandoning more exotic animal models, Brenner looked to roundworms, recruiting his children and friends to collect soil from their backyards and holidays abroad. He settled upon C. elegans: a fast-growing, self-fertilising, transparent creature with a simple nervous system that could be seen under an electron microscope.  From tip to tail, Brenner’s team mapped the entire cellular anatomy of the worm’s brain and spinal cord. Worms with strange morphologies or behaviours, such as abnormal locomotion or feeding, were of special interest.  From these specimens, Brenner worked backward to figure out which faulty neurons might cause the behaviour, and then which genes in those neurons had been mutated.  In Cambridge Brenner advised John Sulston, who developed techniques to trace all of C. elegans cell divisions from the fertilised egg to the 959-cell adult. The feat has yet to be repeated in another organism. Horvitz, also a researcher on Brenner’s team, went on to identify key C. elegans genes involved in controlling cell death.  In addition to his work in research, Brenner held leadership positions at the Medical Research Council in Cambridge. In 1996, he founded the Molecular Sciences Institute in Berkeley, California. He remained director there until 2001, when he joined the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, California. His old friend Crick, who died in 2004, was also working at the Salk Institute.  Brenner also helped launch the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Singapore, where he became an honorary citizen.  In the 1990s, Brenner wrote a column in the journal Current Biology called “Loose Ends” (later renamed “False Starts”). The most popular of his pieces were his “Uncle Syd” columns, a series of letters to his imaginary advisee, “Dear Willie,” with practical-joke ideas and career tips for the young scientist as he rose from graduate student to retired professor.  To busy scientists seeking a polite way to turn down time-consuming invitations to meetings, he suggested the following reply: “Dear X, I regret I am unable accept your invitation as I find I cannot attend your meeting. Yours sincerely.”  Colleagues lauded him as “the funniest scientist who ever lived”, a title Brenner much preferred to “the father of the worm”. Behind the wisecracking exterior was a scientist who believed fervently in solving problems but who knew when to move on from a conundrum and leave it for younger minds to fiddle with.  “I’m a strong believer that ignorance is important in science,” he told The New York Times in 2000. “If you know too much, you start seeing why things won’t work. That’s why it’s important to change your field to collect more ignorance.”


naturalnews--2019-02-22--New biological batteries use energy inspired by electric eels could be used on next-gen robots bio

New biological batteries use energy inspired by electric eels, could be used on next-gen robots, bio-implants

(Natural News) Battery technology is constantly improving, despite there being only fair coverage about it on the news. Unless you’re specifically looking for what’s new in the world of rechargeable batteries, you aren’t likely to find a lot of information. But there are many experts around the world who are currently working on improving the technology behind them.  Case in point: A team of researchers from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor recently worked on a project that yielded an exciting new type of power source. It was inspired by none other than the electric eel, and could one day be used to power a wide range of devices, from ultra-low power gadgets that are used in hospitals, to actual robots. The possibilities right now for it are countless.  According to Thomas Schroeder, a University of Michigan engineer and a co-lead on the research, the result of their project has some pretty desirable physical features. He directly refers to it as a battery, and describes it as such: “Our artificial electric organ has a lot of characteristics that traditional batteries don’t have.” He further adds that it “isn’t potentially toxic, and it runs on potentially renewable streams of electrolyte solution.”  He is referring to the fact that their new battery takes design cues from nature’s electric eel, which is known to be capable to delivering up to 600 volts of power through electrical discharges in order to protect itself as well as to hunt prey. For the eel, this is possible through the use of organs that run along the length of its body, which contain some specialized cells called electrocytes, and these are the source of the high-powered energy volts.  Support our mission and protect your health: Organic Seeds of Life combines Red Raspberry Seed Power, Black Cumin Seed Power and Red Grape Seed Powder into the most potent nutrient-rich supplemental superfood powder you've ever experienced. Loaded with flavonoids, antioxidants, anthocyanins, OPCs, ALA and a vast array of vital nutrients. Learn more here.  The way it works is that a flow of ions is generated, and that carries an electric charge. With thousands of these electrocytes in place, all the tiny voltages produced are stacked together. This is the design that the team of researchers followed to come up with their new kind of battery.  According to a report on the research, Shroeder’s team tried to mimic the anatomy of electrocytes in electric eels, which meant that they had to come up with a way to replicate the stacked unit design that produced the power that electric eels were able to generate. To do this, they relied on four different hydrogels, which were 3D printed, and then simply stacked together to form a fully synthetic system. After testing, the researchers were able to confirm that the system worked, and that by using 2,500 of the units together, they could generate a potential difference of 110 volts. That’s around two to three times smaller than the power generated by the electric eel, but it’s a start. The researchers are now working on ways to increase the power output by decreasing the thickness of the units and lowering the resistance, which is what works for the electric eel.  As of now, the research on the new battery continues as the team looks for ways to actually make use of it. In theory, it is said that the new artificial battery can generate enough power for certain ultra-low power devices, such as pacemakers in patients that need cardiac treatment. Still, they think that there are ways to vastly improve the artificial battery’s performance, and that it only requires making the hydrogel membranes thinner in order to reduce the resistance — thereby increasing the voltage that can be generated.  According to Markus Buehler, a materials scientist and engineer from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the team’s design is truly impressive. He says that it is an “exciting advance that transcends conventional thinking,” and that he anticipates the deployment of the technology behind it in the near future.


drudgereport--2019-04-17--Scientists test gene editing on US patients

Scientists test gene editing on US patients...

CRISPR gene-editing technology allows scientists to make highly precise modifications to DNA. The technology is now starting to be used in human trials to treat several diseases in the U.S. **Molekuul/Getty Images/Science Photo Library** ****hide caption****  ****toggle caption****  Molekuul/Getty Images/Science Photo Library  CRISPR gene-editing technology allows scientists to make highly precise modifications to DNA. The technology is now starting to be used in human trials to treat several diseases in the U.S.  Molekuul/Getty Images/Science Photo Library  The powerful[ gene-editing technique called CRISPR](https://www.npr.org/tags/419142387/crispr) has been in the news a lot. And not all the news has been good: A[ Chinese scientist stunned ](https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/11/26/670752865/chinese- scientist-says-hes-first-to-genetically-edit-babies)the world last year when he announced he had used CRISPR to create genetically modified babies.  But scientists have long hoped CRISPR — a technology that allows scientists to make very precise modifications to DNA — could eventually help cure many diseases. And now scientists are taking tangible first steps to make that dream a reality.  For example, NPR has learned that a [U.S. CRISPR study that had been approved for cancer](https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03399448?term=Crispr&rank=6) at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia has finally started. A university spokesman on Monday confirmed for the first time that two patients had been treated using CRISPR.  One patient had multiple myeloma, and one had sarcoma. Both had relapsed after undergoing **** standard treatment.  The revelation comes as several other human trials of CRISPR are starting or are set to start in the U.S., Canada and Europe to test CRISPR's efficacy in treating various diseases.  "2019 is the year when the training wheels come off and the world gets to see what CRISPR can really do for the world in the most positive sense," says [Fyodor Urnov](http://www.altius.org/#organization), a gene-editing scientist at the Altius Institute for Biomedical Sciences in Seattle and the University of California, Berkeley.  Here are highlights of the year ahead in CRISPR research, and answers to common questions about the technology.     **What is CRISPR exactly?**  CRISPR is a new kind of genetic engineering that gives scientists the power to edit DNA much more easily than ever. Researchers think CRISPR could revolutionize how they prevent and treat many diseases. CRISPR could, for example, enable scientists to repair genetic defects or use genetically modified human cells as therapies.  Traditional gene therapy uses viruses to insert new genes into cells to try to treat diseases. CRISPR treatments largely avoid the use of viruses, which have caused some safety problems in the past. Instead they directly make changes in the DNA, using targeted molecular tools. The technique has been compared to the cut and paste function in a word processing program — it allows scientists to remove or modify specific genes causing a problem.  **Is this the same technique that caused a recent scandal when a scientist in China edited the genes of two human embryos?**  There's an important difference between the medical studies under discussion here and what the Chinese scientist, He Jiankui, did. He used CRISPR to edit genes in human embryos. That means the changes he made would be passed down for generations to come. And he did it before most scientists think it was safe to try. In fact, there [have been calls for a moratorium ](https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/03/13/701549223/call-for- global-moratorium-on-creating-gene-edited-babies)on gene-editing of heritable traits.  For medical treatments, modifications are only being made in the DNA of individual patients. So this gene-editing doesn't raise dystopian fears about re-engineering the human race. And there's been a lot of careful preparation for these studies to avoid unintended consequences.      **So what's happening now with new or planned trials?**      We've finally reached the moment when CRISPR is moving out of the lab and into the clinic around the world.  Until now, only a relatively small number of studies have tried to use CRISPR to treat disease. And almost all of [those studies have been in China](https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/02/21/585336506/doctors- in-china-lead-race-to-treat-cancer-by-editing-genes), and have been aimed at treating various forms of cancer.  There's now a clinical trial underway at the University of Pennsylvania using CRISPR for cancer treatment. It involves removing immune system cells from patients, genetically modifying them in the lab and infusing the modified cells back into the body.  The hope is the modified cells will target and destroy cancer cells. No other information has been released about how well it might be working. The study was approved to eventually treat 18 patients.  "Findings from this research study will be shared at an appropriate time via medical meeting presentation or peer-reviewed publication," a university spokesperson wrote in an email to NPR.  But beyond the cancer study, researchers in Europe, the United States and Canada are launching at least half a dozen carefully designed studies aimed at using CRISPR to treat a variety of diseases.  **What other diseases are they testing treatments for?**   Two trials sponsored by [CRISPR Therapeutics](http://www.crisprtx.com/) of Cambridge, Mass., and [Vertex Pharmaceuticals](https://www.vrtx.com/working- here) of Boston are designed to treat genetic blood disorders. One is for [sickle cell disease](https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/sickle-cell-disease), and another is a similar genetic condition called [beta thalassemia](https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/beta-thalassemia).  In fact, [the first beta thalassemia patient](http://ir.crisprtx.com/news- releases/news-release-details/crispr-therapeutics-and-vertex-announce- progress-clinical) was recently treated in Germany. More patients [may soon get their blood cells edited using CRISPR](https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03655678?term=Crispr&rank=5) at that hospital and a second clinic in Germany, followed by patients at medical centers in Toronto, London and possibly elsewhere.  The[ first sickle disease patients](https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03745287?term=Crispr&rank=7) could soon start getting the DNA in their blood cells edited in this country in Nashville, Tenn., San Antonio and New York.  And yet another study, sponsored by [Editas Medicine](https://www.editasmedicine.com/contact/) of Cambridge, Mass., will try to treat an inherited form of blindness known as [Leber congenital amaurosis](https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/leber-congenital-amaurosis).  That [study is noteworthy](https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03872479?term=Crispr&draw=3&rank=25) because it would be the first time scientists try using CRISPR to edit genes while they are inside the human body. The other studies involve removing cells from patients, editing the DNA in those cells in the lab and then infusing the modified cells back into patients' bodies.  Finally, several more U.S. cancer studies may also start this year in Texas, New York and elsewhere to try to treat tumors by genetically modifying immune system cells.      **What can go wrong with CRISPR? Are there any concerns?**  Whenever scientists try something new and powerful, it always raises fears that something could go wrong. The early days of gene therapy were scarred by major setbacks, such as [the case of Jesse Gelsinger](https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1069810), who died after an adverse reaction to a treatment.  The big concern about CRISPR is that the editing could go awry, causing unintended changes in DNA that could cause health problems.  There's also some concern about this new wave of studies because they are the first to get approved [without going through an extra layer of scrutiny](https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1810628) by the National Institutes of Health. That occurred because the NIH and FDA changed their policy, [saying only some studies](https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1810628) would require that extra layer of review.  "Every human on the planet should hope that this technology works. But it might work. It might not. It's unknown," says [Laurie Zoloth](https://divinity.uchicago.edu/laurie-zoloth), a bioethicist at the University of Chicago. "This is an experiment. So you do need exquisite layers of care. And you need to really think in advance with a careful ethical review how you do this sort of work."  The researchers conducting the studies say they have conducted careful preliminary research, and their studies have gone through extensive scientific and ethical review.  **When might we know whether any of these experimental CRISPR treatments are working?**      All of these studies are very preliminary and are primarily aimed at first testing whether this is safe. That said, they are also looking for clues to whether they might be helping patients. So there could be at least a hint about that later this year. But it will be many years before any CRISPR treatment could become widely available.


drudgereport--2019-06-28--Researchers grow mini-brains from stem cells

Researchers grow 'mini-brains' from stem cells...

Floating disembodied conscious brains that issue commands to luckless human minions may be a cliché of science fiction, but they are a far cry from the primitive, lab-grown "cerebral organoids" that real scientists study today. New research suggests that contemporary mini-brains -- even if inferior to their fictional counterparts -- are still capable of a surprise or two.  Dr. Hideya Sakaguchi, study co-author and postdoctoral fellow at Kyoto University (currently at the Salk Institute), explained in an email that the important thing here is not just the creation of a mini-brain but that a tool was developed to detect nerve cell activity. Someday, this new calcium ion analysis tool may help researchers better understand complex brain functions and neurological disorders.  How do you make a cerebral organoid?  For the new study, the researchers began by creating a ball of pluripotent stem cells, which possess the ability to develop into any type of bodily cell and tissue. They placed this ball into a dish filled with a liquid medium that mimics the environment necessary to an actual developing brain. From here, the researchers studied the connections and activity between individual neurons.  For those who worry that the mini-brains might possess human-like qualities (and so pose ethical dilemmas), there's no question that the organoids are incapable of sophisticated function, because they lack input from their surrounding environment, Sakaguchi said. Consciousness requires subjective experience, and that comes only when information is received from probing, sensory tissues -- those of the body. The new research is "not a big breakthrough," said Yi Zhou , an associate professor of biomedical sciences and neuroscience at Florida State University. Zhou, who was not involved in the study, said the researchers focused on recording activity in isolated cells of the cerebral organoid instead of measuring activity in the organoid as a whole. Though they developed a new and interesting approach, their results do not add much to the field, he said. Additionally, calcium ion activity is an indirect way to measure neuronal activity, whereas an examination of the firing of nerve cells is a more direct and ultimately accurate way to understand the functional ability of a model mini-brain. Sign up here to get The Results Are In with Dr. Sanjay Gupta every Tuesday from the CNN Health team. Zhou said his own team mostly focuses on trying to make "more sophisticated" and "complex" mini-brains that are "able to mimic human brains." To that end, they add different neuron types and structures, such as a vascular system to supply oxygen and nutrients. Sometimes, his 3D cerebral organoid creations begin with cells from Alzheimer's patients "to see if it develops in a way that is different from a normal brain," he said. "Can we mimic pathologic conditions?" "The mini-brain is still underdeveloped, but eventually, it will be a very useful approach to understand the development of our brain and to understand human diseases," Zhou said. "There is still a long way to go."


drudgereport--2019-11-19--Genetically engineered babies 'within two years' as scientists make breakthrough...

Genetically engineered designer babies could be just two years away and spark a revolution in editing human embryos, scientists have said.  Researchers have predicted the “ethically sound” creation of the so-called designer babies by 2022.  It is expected to spark a revolution in a new wave of genetic medication of humans.  Kevin Smith, from Abertay University in Dundee, has published analysis that found the risks of gene editing are now low enough to warrant its use with human embryos.  He argued a morally justifiable attempt could be less than two years away.  And he predicted such research could kick-start a revolution in producing genetically-modified (GM) people.  Dr Smith said: "The human germline is by no means perfect, with evolution having furnished us with rather minimal protection from diseases that tend to strike in our later years, including cardiovascular disease, cancer and dementia.  "GM techniques offer the prospect of protecting future people against these and other common disorders.  "This has previously been achieved to an extent in GM experiments on animals.  "If several common disorders could be avoided or delayed by genetically modifying humans, the average disease-free lifespan could be substantially extended."  The academic, who is programme leader for Abertay's biomedical science courses, said research in this area would offer hope to parents at risk of transmitting serious genetic disease to their future children.  He warned an ethical approach must be at the heart of any advances if public trust is to be won.  Dr Smith added: "Society is largely opposed to genetically modifying humans and the negative publicity generated by the ethically problematic first-ever production of GM babies in China last year was strongly criticised by most geneticists and ethicists, further hardening attitudes against the creation of so-called 'designer babies'.  "However, by delaying an ethically sound move towards a world where we can reduce genetic disease, we are failing those who suffer through disease and debilitating conditions.  "If such negative attitudes to biomedical innovation had prevailed in the 1970s, the development and use of IVF - a massively beneficial medical technology - would have been severely delayed, and indeed might never have come to fruition."  The paper is published in the medical ethics journal Bioethics.


newspunch--2019-05-31--Groundbreaking Research Suggests Gut-Brain Connection in Autism

Researchers have now discovered a gut-brain connection in patients who suffer from autism.  Chief Investigator Associate Professor Elisa Hill-Yardin from RMIT University said scientists trying to understand autism have long studied the brain, but the links with the gut nervous system have only been recently explored.  Eurekalert.org reports: “We know the brain and gut share many of the same neurons and now for the first time we’ve confirmed that they also share autism-related gene mutations,” Hill-Yardin said.  “Up to 90% of people with autism suffer from gut issues, which can have a significant impact on daily life for them and their families.  “Our findings suggest these gastrointestinal problems may stem from the same mutations in genes that are responsible for brain and behavioural issues in autism.  “It’s a whole new way of thinking about it – for clinicians, families and researchers – and it broadens our horizons in the search for treatments to improve the quality of life for people with autism.”  The autism gene and the gut-brain link  The study reveals a gene mutation that affects neuron communication in the brain, and was the first identified as a cause of autism, also causes dysfunction in the gut.  The research brings together new results from pre-clinical animal studies with previously unpublished clinical work from a landmark 2003 study led by Swedish researchers and a French geneticist.  The study of two brothers with autism by Professor Christopher Gillberg (University of Gothenburg), Professor Maria Råstam (Lund University) and Professor Thomas Bourgeron (Pasteur Institute) was the first to identify a specific gene mutation as a cause of the neurodevelopmental disorder.  This mutation affects communication by altering the “velcro” between neurons that keeps them in close contact.  While the 2003 study was focused on identifying the genetic basis for autism, Gillberg and Råstam also took detailed clinical notes of the brothers’ significant gastrointestinal problems.  Researchers in the Gut-Brain Axis team at RMIT have built on this clinical work with a series of studies on the function and structure of the gut in mice that have the same “velcro” gene mutation.  Collaborator Associate Professor Ashley Franks (La Trobe University) also found significant differences in the gut microbes of mice with the mutation and those without it, even though both groups were kept in identical environments.  While this specific “velcro” mutation is rare, it is one of more than 150 autism-related gene mutations that alter neuronal connections, Hill-Yardin said.  “The link we’ve confirmed suggests a broader mechanism, indicating that the mutations that affect connections between neurons could be behind the gut problems in many patients.”  New research horizons on the gut-brain axis  Hill-Yardin, an ARC Future Fellow and Vice-Chancellor’s Senior Research Fellow in the School of Health and Biomedical Sciences at RMIT, said the work identifies a new a target for the development of therapies specifically designed to work on neurotransmitters in the gut.  “We’ve also identified that there’s a need to better understand how existing autism medications that target neurotransmitters in the brain are affecting the gut,” she said.  “Another promising path for future research is investigating how gene mutations in the nervous system relate with microbes in the gut.  “We know these microbes interact with the brain via the gut-brain axis, so could tweaking them improve mood and behaviour?  “While this wouldn’t reverse the gene mutation, we might be able to tone down its effects, and make a real difference in the quality of life for people with autism and their families.”


npr--2019-04-16--First US Patients Treated With CRISPR As Human Gene-Editing Trials Get Underway

First U.S. Patients Treated With CRISPR As Human Gene-Editing Trials Get Underway


sottnet--2019-01-26--Key protein in the production of insulin discovered by researchers

The crucial hormone insulin needs help acquiring the right structure.They hope the new research results can be used to develop treatments for conditions such as increased level of insulin in the blood known as hyperinsulinemia.Even though researchers have been familiar with and studied the hormone insulin for more than a hundred years, especially in connection with diabetes, they still make new discoveries concerning the hormone.The new research results have just been published in the scientific journal Diabetes.Insulin is produced in the beta cells of the pancreas. The hormone is produced as a precursor called proinsulin. For proinsulin to mature into functional insulin, it needs to be folded and processed correctly to acquire the right structure with assistance from proteins that are termed chaperones. The researchers have now discovered and identified such a chaperone. A proinsulin chaperone termed glucose-regulated protein GRP94.'Even though proinsulin has a relatively short sequence, it still needs help acquiring the right structure to become mature, functional insulin. However, several other studies have shown that proinsulin can be folded without help from proteins in artificial cell-free conditions. Yet, our study conducted in live cells shows that proinsulin is not folded correctly and does not acquire the right structure without help from GRP94,' says last author of the study, Associate Professor Michal Tomasz Marzec from the Department of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Copenhagen.In the study the researchers removed or inhibited the protein GRP94 in to see what happened with the proinsulin and the cells. They observed that the proinsulin was not folded correctly and the beta cells did not secrete sufficient amounts of insulin. The researchers were surprised though to learn that removal of GRP94 did not affect cell viability. Nothing happened to the cells after they had removed the protein.'This is surprising, because one would anticipate that the beta cells would die from stress when huge amounts of misfolded proinsulin accumulate inside the cells. It is like removing the bearing beam without weakening the construction. This indicates that the GRP94 protein plays a very specialized function and that beta cells are well-prepared to mount effective responses to deal with consequences of misfolding of proinsulin. We are currently working to understand these responses and their biological and pathological consequences,' says Associate Professor Michal Tomasz Marzec.According to the researchers, the research results may make it possible in the future to manipulate the process from proinsulin to insulin in the body's beta cells. If you can use medicine to inhibit the assistant protein, the result would be reduced insulin secretion. This would be useful in connection with conditions like hyperinsulinemia, where the body produces too much insulin. In the long term, they also hope the new knowledge will be useful in connection with types 1 and 2 diabetes.'We hope this new discovery will guide the development of novel drugs. Understanding the biological processes behind the production of insulin in the cells will enable us to modify the processes. We thus hope we will be able to inhibit overproduction of insulin as it occurs in children and adults with hyperinsulinemia. In the long term we also hope we will be able to increase the production of insulin, ease the large production burden of beta cells in connection with type 2 diabetes and to maintain their secretion function for longer without the need for insulin injections,' says Associate Professor Michal Tomasz Marzec.The study is funded by the Independent Research Fund Denmark, the Augustinus Foundation, Dagmar Marshall's Foundation, the A.P. Møller Foundation, Kirsten and Freddy Johansen's Foundation, Eva og Hans Carl Holms Mindelegat, the Danish Diabetes Academy, Zealand Pharma, the Swedish Research Council, the Swedish Research Foundation, Familjen Ernfors Fond, the Novo Nordisk Foundation and the American National Institute of Health (NIH).Read the scientific study: " The Endoplasmic Reticulum Chaperone Glucose-Regulated Protein 94 is Essential for Proinsulin Handling ".