UTUROA and CRISPR-CAS9

From Worldometer (new  COVID-19 deaths yesterday):

DAY  USA  WORLD    Brazil    India    South Africa

2020

June     9     1093     4732         1185        246       82

July    22      1205     7128         1293      1120     572

Aug    12      1504     6556        1242        835     130

Sept     9      1208      6222       1136       1168       82

Oct     21      1225      6849         571        703       85

Nov    25       2304    12025        620        518      118

Dec    30       3880    14748       1224       299      465

2021

Jan     14       4142      15512       1151         189     712

Feb      3       4005    14265       1209       107      398

Mar      2       1989     9490        1726       110      194

April     6        906    11787         4211       631       37

May     4        853     13667        3025      3786     59 

June    1        287    10637         2346      3205      95

 July    7         251      8440        1595        817      411

Aug     4         656    10120        1118        532      423 

Sept   22      2228      9326          839       279     124

Oct      6       2102      8255          543       315       59

Nov    3        1436      7830         186        458       23

Dec     1       1633      8475          266        477       28

2022

Jan     7        2025      6729         148         285     140

Feb     2        2990   12012          946        991      175

Mar     2        1778     7756          335         173       28 

Apr     1          439      4056         290          52       12

May    5          225      2404         151            ?        64

June    2         216      1413         130           10        31

July    6          316      1627         335           35       12 

Aug    4          311       2138         258          70         ?

Sep    1           272       1732         174            ?         ?

Oct     6          281       1305         119            9         ?

Nov    3          167         980           16            ?         ?

        25            88         985           71             3        ?  

Dec    3          149       1029         131            3         ?

          8          194       1320         104             6       86

        15           147       1295         124             4         ?

        22          289       1637         165             9         ? 

        28          296       1768         337            2         ?

2023

Jan    4          346       1534         207             ?         ?

         5           220       1611          183             ?         ? 

       12            270       1470         128             ?         ?

       19            225       1775         480             ?         ?

        26           351       1361           92             1         7

Feb    1           221       1261         126              ?         ?

          8          329        999          50             2         ?

        15           211         999         132             1         ?

        22           177       1016         312              1         ? 

Mar   1            119         618           81              1         ? 

          8            116        605          34             0         0

         15           136        564             ?             5         ?

         23           137        386             ?             ?         ? 

         30            81         414             ?             ?          ? 

Apr     5          121         371              ?             ?         ? 

         12          484           56             ?            19        ?

Summary:

• New deaths yesterday:  #1 Germany 151, #2 France 59, #3 USA 56
• New cases yesterday:  #1 France 14,207, #2 S. Korea 13,926, #3 Japan 10,176, #4 India 10,158, #5 USA 7,490.
• Cases in the past seven days per million population.
• Three Pacific sites lead with #1 Micronesia 1924, #2 Niue 1850 and #3 New Zealand 1766.
• #10  France 759
• #16  Japan 446
• #22  Australia 276
• #29  USA 169
• #133  French Polynesia  0? (and here comes the Seabourn Odyssey with tours mostly sold out)

President Joe Biden earlier this week signed an end to the national COVID-19 pandemic emergency, following the U.S. Congress passing a bipartisan resolution to bring it to a close after three years.  More important to us, our ship outbreak sufficiently declined that masks are not worn anymore by the staff.  Hope our presence on four French Polynesia stops doesn't re-spread this virus.  In any case, perhaps we will be able to participate more in enclosed room activities and eat in all the restaurants.

However, looking at all the upcoming tours, looks like we will be transported in open air vehicles, which means mosquitos.  Dengue and Zika are prevalent.  However, the problem is mostly in the early morning or sunset.  The Bora Bora airport is particularly famous for its mosquitos.  Resorts tend to overkill, so chemicals are everywhere.  

Whenever in the past I stopped by these Pacific islands, a thought occurred to me that, sure, we can help bring renewable energy, but, wow, wouldn't it be fabulous if mosquitos can be eliminated.  Honolulu does not have much of a mosquito problem, and I don't see any negative effects of that.

CRISPR gene editing (pronounced/ˈkrɪspər/ "crisper") is a genetic engineering technique in molecular biology by which the genomes of living organisms may be modified.  Uses a specially designed RNA molecule to guide an enzyme called Cas9 to a specific sequence of DNA.  Cas9 then cuts the strands of DNA at that point and removes a small piece, causing a gap in the DNA where a new piece of DNA can be added. Thus, the process is called CRISPR-Cas9.

Experiments have succeeded in controlling something like malaria.  Always, as we should, though, comes the concern of opening a Pandora's Box of entering the unknown.  Scientists today don't know enough about elimination an insect species.

Yet the African malaria mosquito is the most dangerous animal on earth, said Conor McMeniman of Johns Hopkins.  More than 200 million cases/year, with half a million deaths, where children under the age of 5 are the most susceptible.  Further, CRISPR-Cas9 has been shown to eliminate cockroaches, but here too, there are too many long-term implications to proceed at this time.

Five years ago the MIT Technology Review reported that Chinese researchers had already used this gene-editing technique to produce super-babies.  So what happened?

• He Jiankui succeeded in 2018 and 2019 with three of them.
• He was sent to prison for three years and released last year.
• Earlier this year He reported that all three children are doing well.
• He said his primary purpose was to create resistance to HIV.

So on to our cruise.  We were were in Uturoa, Raiatea yesterday.  Lunch.

Second course of perch.

Uturoa,

Walked into town, and in a word, not much.  Like a small portion of Hilo town.

Noticed this interesting boat, like a fancy catamaran.  Went to see it.

We had a departure caviar celebration.

Goodbye Uturoa.

Dinner was room service of Sautéed Escalope of Foie Gras (nothing much), Clam Chowder (okay), Mixed Lettuce and Shiitake Mushroom Salad (sounded great, but was so minimal), Pasta Vongole (noodles too thick), Pan Roasted Asparagus in Brown Butter Sauce (also sounded terrific, but was shrunken and almost inedible), and Wiener Schnitzel, which was the best of the bunch, with red wine and beer.

We watched Miracle, a 2004 film of the 1980 USA victory over the Soviet Union team in ice hockey, with Kurt Russell as coach Herb Brooks.  Rotten Tomatoes scores of 80% and 91%.  

• I remember so well that moment, with Al Michael's Do Believe in Miracles.  Click on that, watch the miracle unfold.  

• 
  To me this Olympic victory ranks #1 as America's most memorable Gold Medal.  Rivals David beating Goliath.  It was brutal, David cut off Goliath's head.   
• The Soviets had won gold in the previous four Winter Olympics.  They were all professionals, while the U.S. team had only college students.  

• 
  But what made it significant was that moment 43 years ago.  I was working for the U.S. Senate at a time of the Iran hostage crisis, with the Soviets attacking Afghanistan.
• You could also trace the dissolution of the Soviet Union a little more than a decade later to this spark.
• Here is RT's ranking of Russell's best films:  #1 was the 1984 Swing Shift and #2 the 2015 Bone Tomahawk, with Miracle at #7.  Never even heard of the other two.

Did not walk much. Only 2237 steps.

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