Author Archives: ev1

Professor Outlines Risks, Benefits of Genome Editing

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Harvard Medical School professor George M. Church discussed the possibilities and potential dangers of genetic engineering on Wednesday. The lecture event, presented by the Harvard Museum of Natural History, covered a range of topics, including potential gains for genetic information and technologies and considerations of ethics and efficacy.

Church began the evening by highlighting the importance of genome testing, stressing that whether or not you have family history, whether or not you [are of] a particular ethnicity, all of us are at risk for rare diseases.

Genome testing has made advances in recent years, with the cost of sequencing an individuals genome having decreased in the past decade.But further advances in genome testing, Church said, could allow us to essentially see whats currently invisible, to essentially see the genomes around us.

Advances in the portability and affordability of genome testing, for instance, could lead to a sort of handheld DNA sequencing device that could dramatically impact diagnostics and field studies.

Moreover, Church said, if you have an inexpensive way of [sequencing genomes] you can really start testing a lot of ideas about cause and effect, with the potential to identify rare protective gene variants that could alleviate or eliminate some diseases.

Your genetics is not your destiny, Church said.

Church also discussed the possibility of de-extinction, bringing back species like the woolly mammoth. He predicted that the de-extinction process would largely depend on both ecological and economic considerations, in which species are judged both on their viability in modern ecosystems and their utility. He highlighted the woolly mammoth as an example of such a keystone species that could dramatically and positively impact the global ecosystem, citing his 2013 Scientific American article which outlined how mammoths could contribute to the reversal of global warming by keeping the tundra frozen.

Letting the tundra melt, Church said, is the equivalent to burning all of the forests in all of the world and their roots two and a half times over. Bringing back the woolly mammoth could be one important step toward preventing this catastrophic release of carbon, according to Church.

Church also briefly touched on human genetic enhancements, noting that changes in the modern environment and human behavior have framed the topic of altering ones genome in terms of necessity.

Our ancestors didnt need any genetic enhancements to be able to sit for twelve hours a day and eat fatty, sugary foods, but we need enhancements that handle that altered environment, he said. If we go into space, we need enhancements that handle radiation and osteoporosis...or else were dead. So what seems like an enhancement in one generation becomes life and death in another generation.

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Professor Outlines Risks, Benefits of Genome Editing

Maritza Novas, R.N., M.S.N and Alfredo Hoyos, M.D. to Speak at the EuroMedicom Aesthetic & Anti-Aging Medicine World …

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Miami, FL (PRWEB) October 21, 2014

Global Stem Cells Group has announced that Alfredo Hoyos, M.D. and Maritza Novas, R.N., M.S.N. will be speaking at the EuroMedicom First AMWC Latin America Aesthetic & Anti-aging Medicine World Congress in Medellin, Colombia, Nov. 27, 28 and 29, 2014.

The World Congress Colombia event is organized in cooperation with the International Scientific Board of the AMWC Monaco event, the largest international event in the field of aesthetic and anti-aging medicine. The goal of the event is to showcase the AMWCs commitment to innovation, expertise and excellence in aesthetic and anti-aging medicine, and to share a wealth of experience and teaching skills with attendees from around the world.

In addition to keeping up with worldwide practices, the Medellin conference is designed to contribute to enhancing practitioners skills through advanced academic and clinical sessions, as well as lectures presented by prominent experts in the field like Hoyos and Novas.

Novas and Hoyos will discuss the latest advancements in stem cell medicine for cosmetic and anti-aging applications. Hoyos, founder of Stem Lab, Global Stem Cells Group's new representative in Colombia, will also discuss plans to hold a symposium on stem cell and regenerative medicine in Bogota in Feb., 2014.

Novas is a lead trainer and part of the research and development team for Stem Cell Training, a Global Stem Cells Group subsidiary. Hoyos, a prominent Colombian plastic surgeon, is the world-renowned creator of high-definition liposculpture and other advanced body contour techniques. Hoyos will also be promoting the new collaboration between Global Stem Cells Group and his Colombia-based Stem Lab biotechnology company, which develops stem cell techniques for regenerative medicine treatments.

Hoyos serves Global Stem Cells Group and its subsidiary Regenestem as exclusive representative for the Colombian territory. Hoyos will be in charge of all Global Stem Cells Group divisions and programs in Colombia, including patient recruiting through Regenestem, physician training and certification trough Stem Cell Training, and stem cell equipment and disposables sales through Adimarket. Five dates are planned for training and physician certification under the Global Stem Cells Group brand in Colombia during 2015.

For more information, visit the Global Stem Cells Group website, email bnovas(at)stemcellsgroup(dot)com, or call 305-224-1858.

About the Global Stem Cells Group:

Global Stem Cells Group, Inc. is the parent company of six wholly owned operating companies dedicated entirely to stem cell research, training, products and solutions. Founded in 2012, the company combines dedicated researchers, physician and patient educators and solution providers with the shared goal of meeting the growing worldwide need for leading edge stem cell treatments and solutions. With a singular focus on this exciting new area of medical research, Global Stem Cells Group and its subsidiaries are uniquely positioned to become global leaders in cellular medicine.

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Maritza Novas, R.N., M.S.N and Alfredo Hoyos, M.D. to Speak at the EuroMedicom Aesthetic & Anti-Aging Medicine World ...

STARS 2014- Reaching the Bottom in Nanotechnology: Quantum Aspects of Nanoplasmonics. – Video

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STARS 2014- Reaching the Bottom in Nanotechnology: Quantum Aspects of Nanoplasmonics.
Joseph W. Haus, Ph.D., Electro-Optics, presents at the The 5th annual STARS symposium-which stands for Spotlight on Technology, Arts, Research and Scholarship. STARS showcases exciting ...

By: University of Dayton

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STARS 2014- Reaching the Bottom in Nanotechnology: Quantum Aspects of Nanoplasmonics. - Video