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Winning Essays
Below are excerpts from The DuPont Challenge© 2008 first-place essays.
Claire Yang, Junior Division First-Place Winner
One of the most unusual, alternative methods offered is ichthyotherapy [therapy involving the so-called “doctor fish” (Garra rufa) of the Central Anatolia region of Turkey]. Two different species of fish thrive in the hot springs of Kangal: Cyprinion macrostomus and Garra rufa. Both belong to the Cyprinidae (carps and minnow) family, yet the G. rufa is considered to be the main therapeutic. These fish are bottom dwellers and generally feed on phyto- and zooplankton. There is a scarce amount of plankton in the Kangal hot springs though, explaining why the G. rufa feed on human skin and simultaneously reduce such ailments as psoriasis and atopic dermatitis (Grassberger and Hoch).”
Nicole Clark, Senior Division First-Place Winner
Finally, in 2000, scientists at Nexia Biotechnologies in Quebec culminated their developing research by creating two transgenic male goats that carried the spider silk genes. These goats then sired nannies that produced the spider silk proteins in their milk (“GM Goat”), indicating strong similarities between the glands of spiders and goats. Within two years, Nexia was breeding transgenic goats with over 1,000 normal goats on farms in Montreal and New York (Chea). The proteins were harvested from the goat milk through intense heat that evaporated all other materials except the silk proteins, which were strong enough to resist denaturing (Lazaris).” |
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“Everyday, people wake up and look in the mirror. Many don’t like what they see, but imagine having your body covered in large lesions, scales, and blisters, which happens to be an average sight for psoriasis patients. Psoriasis is a common skin disorder with a worldwide distribution; the average occurrence in the U.S. is estimated to be around 2% and in total, affects about 2-3 percent of the world’s population. Psoriasis carries a substantial burden—between 10-30% of all patients suffers from psoriatic arthritis (National Psoriasis Foundation). Several considerable advances in maintaining this disease have been made, but there is still no cure. However, a wide range of treatments is offered for psoriasis. Some patients rely on more pharmacological, normal methods, while others experiment with more out-of-the-way ones.
“One novel application of animal pharming is the production of spider silk proteins through the mammary glands of transgenic goats. Since dragline spider silk is five times stronger than steel and 25% lighter than synthetic petroleum-based polymers (Lazaris), the U.S. military commissioned scientists to supply spider silk for stronger and more flexible battle gear. Thus, several researchers began studying the dragline silk of orb weavers, since it is coded for by only two genes. However, their preliminary experiments with transgenic bacteria and yeast failed, as these organisms’ biological processes damaged the silk proteins (Chea).