Desma 9 Final

1. Desma 9
Art + Science + Technology
Summer Session A
Professor Vesna
Dustin O’Hara TA
Regenerating Like a Salamander
-Taking Biotech and Medtech to the next
level!
Mayra Zaragoza

2.  My idea came from Biotech and Medtech: Plastic surgery is a thing of the past, cell
regeneration is the future! By studying the salamander we have developed a new way
of creating new limbs for people with disabilities, deformities, or people who simply
want to look different. We can grow body parts by using a small sample of DNA from
the patient and use the evolutionary advantage of regeneration that the salamander
has. We take the DNA from the patient and merge it with the salamander cells. They
are then put into an incubator, grown into the desired body part, and later attached to
the person. There will no longer be a waiting time for people who need organs. We
can essentially make a new limb or organ for you with your own DNA.
ABSTRACT

3.  I have been studying the regeneration of the salamander
and starfish, but I have found the salamander's
regeneration to be more complex. A salamander has the
ability to lose a limb and grow it back. The secret to this
regeneration is the salamander has cells that do not
have an assigned job. These undifferentiated cells are
called fibroblasts. The fibroblasts undergo a process in
which a less non-specialized cell becomes a specialized
cell. In other words, undifferentiated cells are free to
become many types of cells, depending on what is
needed.
CONCEPT

4.  When a salamander loses an arm these cells
that do not have an assignment can be assigned
to grow the new arm, bone, and nerves within
weeks. In humans, once we outgrow the fetus
state we no longer have these regeneration
abilities because our cells are already assigned
to do one thing. Thus, if we lose a limb we are
left with a lot of scar tissue.
CONCEPT

5.  With the merge of the two, the DNA of the patient and the unassigned cells in
the salamander, we can grow new body parts in a incubator that will have the
same temperatures as a body and will be feed the essential vitamins and
sugars it needs to grow. We would take the DNA of the patient merge it
(assign the cell) with the salamander gene that allows regeneration and a
blastema will form which is a mass of cells that are capable of growth and
regeneration into organs and body parts. This mass will turn into stem cells
which have the capability to grow into muscle, bone, skin, and nerves.
CONCEPT

6.  This occurrence will change the way we see
plastic surgery and we would not have to wait
years to find a donor when you can pre order a
new limb or organ. We would not also have to
worry about our bodies rejecting the donated
piece because the new limb or organ that has
been made in the incubator has your own DNA
that your body will not reject. If you are worried
about scarring, do not, with the new technology
we have today, scars will be minimal and
unnoticeable.
CONCEPT

7.  Here we see salamander vs regular human cells. A is multi-potent and
B is specialized meaning it only has one function.
CONCEPT
Growing new limbs and organs in
petri dishes is only the start, the next
step would be changing our DNA in
order to make us regenerate like the
salamander or starfish.

8.  Social:
 Today, we have the ability to change our appearances by
going through plastic surgery. Which is a form of body
modification. These surgeries require taking parts of your
own body to create new ones. Leaving scar tissue in two
spots. We are not able to donate an arm or face because
our bodies do not responding well to the donated piece.
In order to keep your donated limb you are required to
take anti-rejection medicines for the rest of your life in
order for your body not to reject it. The medicine also has
huge side effects but with the growth of new limbs and
organs you do not have to worry about taking medicine
your whole life, body rejection, scarring, and the donated
piece looking different from your own.
CONTEXT

9.  Historical:
 In the past we have seen a lot of
modification to make the body look
different due to injuries or just to show
you belong in a tribe. In some African
tribes people wear lip plates which
resemble social or economical
importance (here we get plastic surgery
to look more beautiful). In world war
one, artists would recreate realistic
masks that would cover the
injuries/scars of soldiers. This shows
that body modification has been around
for a very long time.
CONTEXT

10.  In 2007, "pluripotent embryonic stem cells,
meaning that they can differentiate into more
than 200 types of cells. Scientists extract these
stem cells when embryos are in the blastocyst
phase, the stage when an embryo contains
around 150 cells. The stem cells come from the
interior of the blastocyst. In November 2007,
scientists successfully cloned monkey embryos
for the purpose of removing stem cells -- this is
the closest we've ever come to performing the
same procedure in humans".
SCIENCE PRECEDENTS
This shows that we are getting
close to regenerating ourselves.

11.  The Vacanti Mouse (late 1990's)
 Was a mouse that was specialized to have no hair,
and bred to lack an immune system in order so that
human tissue would not reject it. The ear was not
actually an ear but it was a type of mold ( "the
scaffolding can be molded into any shape or size, the
tissue can be custom grown for the intended
recipient") made out of cartilage that was put under
its skin so that it would grow. It was later taken out
and placed into the person who needs the new ear.
SCIENCE PRECEDENTS

12.  Semi-Living Worry Dolls.
 Are engineered sculptures that were alive in a
gallery. They were made from degradable
polymers and surgical sutures. The dolls are
feed with living cells and start growing and
replacing the polymers, so throughout the
exhibition you see them growing which are
partially alive. This growth shows how we can
grow living things that can be attached to people
or animals that grew in tubes and once were not
alive.
ART PRESIDENTS

13.  GFP Bunny
 Alba is a normal rabbit during the
day but when you turn off the light
and turn on a florescent light on
you see that she glows green. This
is possible by injecting a green
florescent protein taken from a
jellyfish into Alba.
ART PRECEDENTS
This shows the merging and genetic possibilities; the merging of jellyfish DNA and rabbit DNA.. This
art project has raised ethical questions as to which Alba is considered art or a science project. Alba
has been the start to injecting other animals or cells to show the fluorescent green glow.

14.  The merging of salamander and human DNA is the future. It
will allow us to grow any limb or organ that is needed. There
is no waiting time in donor lists or worrying about your body
rejecting your new limb or organ because it is made with
your DNA; especially for you!
CONCLUSION

15. Conger, Cristen. "HowStuffWorks "Salamander Limb Regeneration""
<i>HowStuffWorks</i>. Web. 7 Aug. 2014.
Conger, Cristen. "Could We Clone Our Organs to Be Used in a Transplant?"
<i>HowStuffWorks</i>. HowStuffWorks.com. Web. 7 Aug. 2014.
Tanaka, Elly. "Regeneration: What Does It Mean and How Does It Work?"
<i>EuroStemCell</i>. 18 Oct. 2011. Web. 7 Aug. 2014.
Alexander, Caroline. "Faces of War." <i>Smithsonian</i>. 1 Feb. 2007. Web. 8 Aug.
2014.
"Grafted Limb Cells Acquire Molecular ‘fingerprint’ of New Location | UC Health."
<i>Grafted Limb Cells Acquire Molecular ‘fingerprint’ of New Location | UC
Health</i>. UC HEALTH, 24 Oct. 2013. Web. 7 Aug. 2014.
Kumar, Anoop. "Molecular Basis for the Nerve Dependence of Limb Regeneration in
an Adult Vertebrate - Authors' Summary." <i>Molecular Basis for the Nerve
Dependence of Limb Regeneration in an Adult Vertebrate - Authors' Summary</i>. 2
Nov. 2007. Web. 7 Aug. 2014.
WORKS CITED

16. "The Axolotl or Mexican Salamander." <i>AmazingThings</i>. The Word Press, 14 Feb. 2013. Web. 7
Aug. 2014.
UMBEHR, JOSH. "Limb Regeneration: Not Just for X -Men Anymore." <i>Limb Regeneration: Not Just for
X-Men Anymore</i>. 26 May 2006. Web. 7 Aug. 2014.
"Exploration of Fundamental Mechanisms of Adult Human Body Regeneration[ mebo]." <i>Exploration of
Fundamental Mechanisms of Adult Human Body Regeneration[ mebo]</i>. 1 Jan. 2009. Web. 7 Aug.
2014.
"Life After Your Transplant." <i>UC Hospitals</i>. Web. 7 Aug. 2014.
"The Body Shop." <i>PBS</i>. PBS. Web. 7 Aug. 2014.
"Science Gallery - Page Title (for Print Only)." <i>THE SEMI-LIVING WORRY DOLLS</i>. Web. 7 Aug.
2014.
Murano, Grace. "8 Most Extreme Cultural Body Modifications (body Modification, Extreme Body
Modification) - ODDEE." <i>Oddee RSS</i>. 7 Mar. 2013. Web. 7 Aug. 2014.
BIBLIOGRAPHY