Blog #5: BioTech & Art

In this week's discussion, the use of biotechnology and art is mentioned as an ethical issue in cases of experimentation.  I believe that the use of animals in experiments for research, including the manipulation of animals for artistic purposes if the animal is not harmed, is necessary for to future help humans climb a step further in curing certain diseases.  Eduardo Kac's experiment of the fluorescent rabbit - an albino rabbit with genes introduced from a fluorescent jellyfish - was designed to glow to observe the inner parts of the rabbit when introduced with other manipulations.  The artistic aspect of introducing the fluorescent gene does not seem to hurt the organism, and because of this artistic addition, human research of solving health issues can be studied more carefully.  Osamu Shimomura also isolated the green fluorescent protein from the jellyfish, Aequorea Victoria, and inserted it into mice, also used for beneficial research for humans.  The jellyfish florescent protein is used to tag certain genes of proteins in the host organism, in which a light source is needed to see if genetic manipulation is successful – for example, a cancer gene tagged with fluorescent protein inserted into an organism to view the effects that could potentially help humans with cancer.  Tissue engineering is an art of recreating working tissues and organs out of bio materials, which can save many people's lives if in need of organ transplants or other repairs.

Eduardo Kac's art mutation

Biology’s Approach to Construction: The Development and Use of Scaffolds in Tissue Engineering

Body modification is also an art to alter one's body cosmetically by the use of implantations.  Lady Gaga, like Orlan, surgically introduces implants under the skin to decoratively alter the shape of their face.

Lady Gaga mimics the appearance of the artist, Orlan

Bioengineered genetically modified foods, another issue in the scope of biotechnology with art, are produced from organisms that have had specific changes introduced into their DNA in order to have specific and greater control over the foods' structure, quality, and traits.  Many people are biased towards genetically altered foods, while others are completely against it in fear of health risks.

Genetically modified foods

More Relevant Links:

http://seedmagazine.com/content/article/this_is_your_brain_on_food/

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1357258/Lady-Gaga-sports-bizarre-flesh-coloured-facial-horns-Jay-Leno.html

http://www.ekac.org/

http://www.livescience.com/16752-gfp-protein-fluorescent-nih-nigms.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6us9kHHSNwk

Works Cited:

"Genetically Modified Food." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 11 Sept. 2013. Web. 09 Nov. 2013. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetically_modified_food>.

"Illumin - Biology's Approach to Construction: The Development and Use of Scaffolds in Tissue Engineering." Illumin. USC, n.d. Web. 10 Nov. 2013. <http://illumin.usc.edu/printer/231/biologys-approach-to-construction-the-development-and-use-of-scaffolds-in-tissue-engineering/>.

Vesna, Victoria. "5 bioart pt1." Lecture. Youtube, 18 Sept. 2013. Web. 08 Nov. 2013. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaThVnA1kyg#t=353>.

Vesna, Victoria. "5 bioart pt2." Lecture. Youtube, 17 May 2012. Web. 08 Nov. 2013. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL9DBF43664EAC8BC7&v=MdSt-Hjyi2I#t=236>.

Images:

Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Nov. 2013. 

<http://home.allergicchild.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/genetically-modified-food-1.jpg>.

Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Nov. 2013. 

<http://illumin.usc.edu/assets/media/1043/tissueengineering.jpg>.

Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Nov. 2013. 
<http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2013-06-17-gagaandorlan2.jpeg>.

Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Nov. 2013. 

<http://www.viz.tamu.edu/faculty/lurleen/air/2005/kac/kacposter-image-only.gif>.