Jonathan Medina
Biology Lab Extra Credit

“Brain Cells Made From Urine” And “Cloning and Stem Cell Work Earns Nobel”
Monya Baker explains in the article “Brain Cells Made From Urine,” how recent studies have shown that the cells in urine can be adjusted and used for brain cells. Baker describes that scientists have been able to trick some cells in urine into neurons that can be used in “therapies for neurodegenerative diseases.” Based on this method researchers have discovered that using cells from urine is more stable than others. Although for many years scientists have used embryonic stem cells, Baker has concluded that this method is easier and faster. Stem Cell Biologist Duanqing Pei, Baker expresses, has recorded that the “kidney epithelial cells in urine” can be adjusted to create stem cells. Pei’s research has proven that this method works. In a study, as written by Baker, Pei’s team tested this method on rat brains and concluded that the cells “had taken on the shape and molecular markers of neurons.” Baker’s research states that Pei and his team were able to test this theory and got to the conclusion that it works.
Aside from Bakers research on stem cells used in brain cells, Nicholas Wade wrote in “Cloning and Stem Cell Work Earns Nobel” that two scientists were able to use stems cell research in animal cloning. Wade states that, “The techniques they developed reach to the beginnings of life…” Wade describes that both scientists were able to foul living cells into generating stems cell and used in animal cloning. Both scientists, Dr. John B. Gurdon and Dr. Shinya Yamanka, discovered that by removing a cell nucleus from a “mature intestinal cell” and placing it into a frog egg without a nucleus the cell will accept and grow with the new nucleus. Wade describes that Dr. Gurdon and Yamanka were able to take cells and place them back in an egg and the egg grow with that new cell. This phenomenon shown in this article expresses a new idea that stem cells can be reprogrammed into new cells.

Work Cited
Baker, Monya. “Brain Cells Made From Urine.” Nature News. 9 Dec 2012. Web. 20 Dec 2012.
Wade, Nicholas. “Cloning and Stem Cell Work Earns Nobel.” The New York Times. 8 Oct 2012. Web. 20 Dec 2012