Image: DNA Dreaming by Russell Kightley
Fatal Flaws? Yeah. I’m studying medical science/premed at UCLA. Final term and the pressure is on. Mostly, I’m looking for ways to turn my year-four presentation into a research proposal for the CDC – New LA’s branch of the Center for Disease control. Skip this post if academia bores you. 
Otherwise …
My main focus is AADD – Aftermath Associated Degenerative Diseases. Don’t yawn. You’d be surprised how freaking interesting this is, and how it links to gene expression in humans and other species.
Why is it crucial?
Since the first wave of the Aftermath, auto-immune disorders have escalated, not just here in New LA, but globally. These diseases cross all borders, cultures and peoples, targeting young and old alike. The epidemiology is hard to trace, but at its core is a potentially fatal flaw …’
I always choke on that. The topic gets under my skin because I have one of those pesky flaws myself. At times, I can almost hear the clock ticking.
Anyway …
It’s a flaw in the evolution of the human genome. Constant bombardment from microwaves, radiation and carcinogenic substances have caused an abnormal gene expression, including the conditional deletion of the Bcl-x gene from red blood cells, which becomes apparent when the body loses its ability to tell the difference between self and non-self. When that happens, the body attacks its own cells . . . which doesn’t end well.
But the upside is, we can control gene expression. If I get the CDC internship, I plan on proving it, finding a solution, and giving a whole lot of people, and animals, a second chance at life.
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