Yet Another Reason to Love the DNA!

(I know I record my spiritual journey on this blog, but God made genes, and I love genes, so I say this counts!)

I've had one of the most exciting weeks at university...not only because we extracted DNA from yeast, or discovered the marvellous intricacies of embryogenesis, but because I met Sonic Hedgehog! Yup, that's right...didn't know it was real either but apparently it's a big deal!

Note: Not the REAL thing!

Sonic Hedgehog is a gene, one of many in the hedgehog family of genes - its cousins include Desert Hedgehog, Indian Hedgehog and Tiggywinkle Hedgehog! Why the weird name? The protein product of this gene supposedly resembles the spiky little Sonic the Hedgehog! Stranger yet, I found that a verse in Isaiah talks about Hedgehogs: (Isa14:23) '...make it a possession of the hedgehog...' Totally out of context, but just thought it makes this post slightly spiritual! Just slightly?

This amused me so much that I decided to dedicate A LOT of time to research other funky genes - to my absolute delight, I found gazillions! While I wish I could share them all with you, time constraints have forced me to be satisfied with my 'top ten'...with one down, brace yourselves for the rest!

Swiss Cheese - A gene first discovered in fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) These regulate how glial cells are wrapped around neurons; in mutants however, they strangle them to death, producing a characteristic holed pattern that is similar to (you guessed it!) SWISS CHEESE!

Superman and Kryptonite - These plant genes (found in Arabidopsis thaliana) control the formation of a boundary between the carpel and stamen. It gets better, like the fictional Superman, the real Superman is suppressed by Kryptonite! I know what you are thinking! Just admit it - Genetics is COOL!

Genghis Khan - This post is beginning to feel like a joke! This bad guy does not go around conquering lands but resorts to a humbler role of regulating actin polymerisation, by coding for a serine/threonine protein kinase. I have no idea as to why this fruit fly gene carries the name of a great Mongolian emperor...may be something to do with destruction and phosphorylation?

Bubble Bath - Another plant gene! Mutants fill their cells up with many small vesicles, hence the name! Isn't that cute!

Ken and Barbie - I promise I am not joking! These are found in male and female fruit flies respectively. These are alleles of a gene responsible for sexual development.

Tin Man - This is by far one of the wittiest gene names ever! It is a homeobox gene in fruit flies (YAY for fruit fly geneticists everywhere!), responsible for the differentiation and proliferation of cardiac progenitor cells. Genes are often named according to their mutants, hence the Tin Man mutants lack a heart! Clever stuff!

Biblical genes (I told you this post was spiritual!) - The Sarah gene is involved in oocyte meiosis, courtship and ovulation in female fruit flies. A logical parallel to Sarah's miraculous conception in the Bible. I have heard that there are some others like Lot and Methuselah, but I haven't had the opportunity to authenticate those!

Finally, my favourite! One-Eyed Pinhead - If you know me well, you are familiar with the term 'Fish Head'; an insult(mostly aimed at myself) I sparingly use with love! By sounding so similar, One-Eyed Pinhead has made its way into my heart...you see, I love challenging conventional insults with these rather imaginative ones! Anyway, this zygotic zebrafish (Danio rerio) gene results in endodermal defects and more, when mutated. It is responsible for cell adhesion and movement. The name...well, that's probably the mutant...a pointy head with a single eye?

Sadly, I'll have to end there folks to get on with some much needed sleep! I hope you've enjoyed reading this as much as I've enjoyed researching and typing away! Seriously though...you're probably wishing you studied the DNA now right?

Discovering God in Genetics

I am currently working my way through Krish Kandiah's study, 'FRESH' - it is aimed at Christian university students. It has helped me discover a lot, not only as a Christian and a student but also as a daughter and a friend. Although it is aimed at those beginning their first year, I would recommend it to every Christian at university. It is filled with relatable anecdotes and thought provoking challenges, one of which was to write about how I plan to discover God in my chosen field of study - in this post, I shall try to do just that.

This question isn't new, it has consumed me numerous times. Over this academic year, I have been trying to ascertain how my Christianity ought to impact my pursuit in science. With studies that suggest that religious people are less intelligent than those that aren't, and theories that are so contrary to what the Bible states, it seems almost impossible in this day and age to call myself both a Christian and a Scientist.

With much thought to this I have realised that I wrongly equated my Christianity with my passion for science; I confused my identity with my vocation. Am I separating these two important spheres? Certainly not, in fact the contrary is true.  As a Christian, my scientific vocation ought to glorify God - my conclusions need to be unbiased and my research, built on the evidence at hand.

The past few centuries have wrongly projected science and Christianity as irreconcilable entities - all because people felt the need to blame something for the views and philosophies they held dear. Christianity affects world-views, and rightly so, however science does not and cannot. The Oxford dictionary defines 'science' as the 'intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the structure and behaviour of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment.' I know that I do not need a definition to show you that science is empirical; world-views and philosophies cannot be attributed to such tangibility.

I have learnt therefore that my relationship with God does not impede my scientific pursuit, but it drives it. You see, the Bible was never intended to be a science text book, far from it. To compare it to one, would in my opinion be wrong and demeaning; the Bible possesses a nobler purpose, to help one understand the attributes of God and how to be reconciled to Him in light of their sinfulness. Science and Christianity answer different questions, to deny this fact is what impedes knowledge, or worse, promotes false knowledge.

My area of study is Medical Genetics. From a single base in the DNA to its ability to regulate key processes throughout the body, every intricacy points me to God with ever increasing awe. A scientist is much like a sailor trying to reach the horizon, just when he thinks he has sailed enough, he realises it is not so; his journey to that point is by no means unpleasant or in vain.
I have also realised that scientific knowledge is limited. God is the author of life (I am not sure if any of us can define 'life') and the orchestrator of the universe. Science is not a pursuit to disprove His existence or unveil His identity (such matters are beyond its scope), instead it is a quest to discover an iota of all that was involved in God putting together this mind-blowing cosmos and everything in it.

Some of the greatest scientific minds were Christians or theists - Sir Isaac Newton, Johannes Kepler, William Harvey - name it! Closer to my field, I respect and admire Dr. Francis Collins. None of these minds found the need to neglect God to accomplish much for science, but they glorified Him through their achievements. Isn't that enough inspiration to spur us on!

In light of all this, it feels appropriate to end by quoting one of my Genetics lecturers,

'What is life? That is a question you address, not with your head, but with your heart.' 

For more on FRESH, check out: http://www.freshspace.org/

Random Chance? Think again!

'It happened by random chance!', these are the five words every science student can testify to hearing a zillion times! While these words initially evoked outrage within me, reading about Jacob's struggle with Laban extinguished the flames.

From Genesis 29 to chapter 31 we see Jacob's struggle with his father-in-law in order to obtain his rightful wages. Laban, who had already deceived Jacob numerous times, tries to do so again, suggesting Jacob take the speckled, streaked and spotted animals of the flock as his wages. Remarkably however, we see that immediately many of the 'normal' animals began mating with the already streaked, spotted or speckled, producing a far greater proportion that would belong to Jacob!

Mating happens by random chance and so it did in this case; but later on God reveals to Jacob that He was indeed behind it. God working through what we perceive to be random chance! What a baffling thought!

It doesn't stop with Jacob.
Jonah ran away from his God-given duty by hiding in the lower deck of the ship to Tarshish. Nature, by 'chance' was very unkind to the men as they faced a violent, raging storm. In order to identify the culprit who was behind such misfortune, the men cast lots and by 'random chance' it fell on Jonah! Really, 'random chance'? No, we see God's hand at work again.

Proverbs 16:33 confirms this by saying, 'A thing may be put to the decision of chance, but it comes about through the LORD.' In addition, the Bible is filled with ample evidence pointing to a God who mysteriously executes His purposes with probabilities.

Random chance isn't that random after all!

I've learnt to consider not 'whether life arose by random chance' but that I serve a God so mighty and incomprehensible that He is in control of randomness and chance. It does make sense! Who are we to confine God to our boundaries of time and space anyway...remember He was behind those too! 

Visual Development - Connecting with our 'Spiritual Cortex'

Biology revision covered a variety of topics, one of which was on visual development. As I tried to make sense of it all, I realised that visual development is very similar to spiritual growth or 'spiritual development'.

The critical period of visual development is a time in post natal development in which the eyes need to be exposed to light, in order to refine the overlapping connections various neurones from the optic nerve, have with the columns of the visual cortex. The neurones compete for connections with the cortex. Depriving one eye of light (monocular deprivation) during this critical period, will sabotage its chances of acquiring connections with the cortex. As a result, when exposed to light after this period, even though the photoreceptors in the retina respond to it, the visual cortex does not. This is because stimulating neurones strengthens synapses, and the stronger the synapses the better the connections made!

Likewise, once we decide to walk with the Lord (the post natal development in Christian terms), we decide to strengthen our relationship with Him. In order to do so, we must consume ourselves with His word, regularly associate with firm believers and whenever possible, encapsulate ourselves with His presence by worship. Our souls need this spiritual stimuli in order to grow in the Lord so that we mature as Christians. Fortunately, the 'critical period of our spiritual development' does not last a short while but our whole lives, until we're united with the Savior, who is our 'spiritual cortex'.

Don't put it off too late, you may find that you've lost your connection!

180 Movie - A must watch!

A must watch pro-life documentary that will not only challenge you but change you. 

Your view on abortion will never be the same! 

Watch 180 - Turn 180

In this documentary, Ray Comfort(a committed Evangelist) draws an interesting parallel between the Holocaust and abortion, the 'Modern Holocaust'. This comparison is not only a very valid point, but one that cannot be easily dismissed or ignored; above all, it is a thought-provoking comparison that is bound to impact the audience in a remarkable way; God has used this documentary to touch and change many lives already.

Mr.Comfort not only draws out strong Biblical evidence to strengthen and validate his arguments, but also uses simple ubiquitous illustrations to help us analyse and evaluate for ourselves, the purpose and pain surrounding abortion. 

If you think nothing can change your mind on abortion, think again! 

Although '180' approaches the issue of abortion in a challenging way, abortion still remains an issue that is highly debated - ethical debates concerning individual, exclusive situations continue to baffle many Christians and medics. In situations where we lack discernment, one can only turn to the one and only reliable source of all advice and comfort, God. Remember, only God's will prevails and He is ready to help any who seek and cry out to Him earnestly.

'We're made of stardust'

My views have slightly changed since I wrote this post - I will expand on my present views at the end of this post. I have decided to leave my previous musings, as I believe it depicts how our view of the world changes as we mature in the Lord and better understand His Word.

On a recent trip to the Royal Observatory, I was shocked to hear a presentation about stars that said 'Stars are closer to us than we think, we're all made of stardust!' As I looked around the room, I could see proud smiles, I did not understand! To be honest, I found it insulting to hear that I was made up of atoms and molecules that were the remains of a star, that magically combined in some gene pool and through an accident, evolution made me!

Those who were listening to this presentation, seemed so proud to hear that they were made up of star dust, accidentally! What logic does that make? Why is it harder for them to accept the fact that they were made in the image of God, by God? Our society projects theories as facts to those around, thus adulterating the minds of many. What many forget in the course of their lives is that the 'Big Bang Theory' is just a 'theory' and the 'Evolution Theory' is just a 'theory' - no one has enough proof to claim that these theories are 'facts'. There are immense fossil records that disprove the evolution theory - if you are interested, research the 'Cambrian Explosion' - this is where the fossils of many different complex creatures were found with NO connection to any other organism! Moreover, the Big Bang itself is an incomplete theory! Those who choose to believe these don't do it for the facts (if they did, they would know that these theories are just non-provable myths for grown-ups), they do it because they do not want to accept the fact that God exists. The existence of these theories, explains very little but raises many questions, that is not the same with Creation...
Creation explains everything, logically, and no evidence has ever been found to oppose it - this fact, is ignored blindly by our society. It is easier and a lot more logical, to believe that 'in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth'!

Ecclesiastes 1:10 'Is there anything of which one can say, "Look! This is something new"? It was here already, long ago; it was here before our time.' - God created us and every other organism on earth. Things don't magically evolve into new organisms, everything we see now already existed. There will obviously be visual links between organisms, that does not mean they evolved from one another, it merely exhibits the fact that God is a splendid Creator, He wanted all organisms to fit in somehow and thus have a basic similarity e.g. 2 eyes, 1 nose .etc.

If you're still not convinced, may I take this opportunity to encourage you to read the Bible, read Genesis and see how much logic that makes and compare it to these incomplete theories. Remember, the DNA of a crocodile is closer to that of a chicken than ANY OTHER organism on earth - Lets see how the 'theory' of evolution explains this fact!

I am not going to attempt debating evolution, creation and intelligent design in this post. Although I was once staunchly anti-evolution, I have come to see how the Genesis account beautifully complements the theory of evolution by natural selection, and the evidence in fossil record. Of course God created the world, but how He chose to do so and bring each creature into existence is something we will only find out when we meet Him. Who are we to say He could not have used evolution to bring about such order!

Bible - The Guidebook of Modern-Day Science

As promised, This is the second post on the Bible's bank of modern scientific facts. The more I talk about this the more I realize that science ties in closely with Christianity. I mention again, there are A LOT of scientific facts in the Bible, if I talk about each one, I could be talking forever!

One of my favorite places to be at is the sea or the ocean. The mysteries it holds are numerous; although it is beautiful, it can be dangerous. There are many depths that man hasn't even explored, that is what primarily makes it astounding; that is why one of the slowest developments in our understanding of the earth happen in this area. Here are verses which have unveiled a beautiful fact about the ocean:

Psalm 18:15 The valleys of the sea were exposed and the foundations of the earth laid bare at your rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of breath from your nostrils.


Job 38:16 Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea or walked in the recesses of the deep?


Well, I have already spoken a bit about the book of Job in the previous post, but here is a bit about Psalm: the longest book in the Bible, a poetic book, consists of five separate books, the chapters have a variety of authors(some known, others unknown) and the book was written in a period between 1410BC to 450BC. Psalm 18(the one mentioned above) was written by David at around 1010BC and 970BC. 


While these two ancient books written by ordinary people beautifully illustrate the unknown mysteries of the great depths, when did our modern scientists and explorers realize and establish this? 
Oceanology itself began fully around the early 19th century! This is relatively 'young' science, however, an ancient book holds all there is to know about it. To be more precise, underwater hot springs were discovered around 1917. 1917! Did the author of Job just make a lucky guess years and years ago?  The uneven surface and valleys and hills underwater were also a part of modern scientific discoveries that were made possible because of the extensive use of seismic and ultrasound waves. How have these recent understandings already claimed their places in archaic books?

Here are more astounding, jaw-dropping verses:

Ecclesiastes 1:7 All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place the streams come from, there they return again


Job 36:27-29 For He draws up drops of water, Which distill as rain from the mist, Which the clouds drop down and pour abundantly on man. Indeed, can anyone understand the spreading of clouds, The thunder from His canopy? 

Ecclesiastes is a poetic book that was written in Jerusalem before 931BC, by the wisest man who ever lived, Solomon. The (hydro-logic) water cycle, a complex and recent discovery,  is explained in the above verses with simplicity and a lot of clarity. The vivid imagery used makes it easy for the people of the time to comprehend this principle.

However, scientists, once again, realized this a lot later! Although scientists were at work with different theories on the water cycle for years, in the 16th century, a scientist named Bernard Palissy was responsible for combining the existing theories to present our modern hydro-logic cycle. Isn't this mind blowing! This fact is indeed one of my favorite! 


Moreover, the God of the Bible, is an unchanging God of  order, logic, purpose and consistency; this is at the core of our modern-day science!


This finally, brings us back to the 'HOW?'. Well, as I mentioned in the previous post, it is because the Bible is 'God breathed'. It is literally the word of God; how else will you explain its accurate, precise presentations of modern scientific facts! It is 'Inspired', 'Inerrant' and 'Infallible'! May I take this opportunity, to urge you to please take the Bible seriously, it can be trusted! Explore God's word with the right attitude and you will find these mysteries and many more unveiled to you; trust me, its not just a book with 2D words on it, these words are living words of God!

Bible - The Guidebook of Modern-Day Science

As I recently read through Job and watched a few clips on various Biblical truths, the profound, divine nature of the Bible blew my mind once again. Modern scientific 'truths' or 'facts' that only recently claimed their places after numerous experiments and investigations, were already stated in the Bible when the technology we have now wasn't even invented!

There are numerous scientific truths in the Bible and if I write about each one, I could be writing forever! Therefore, I will pick a few of my favorite ones to write about in a few posts...

Job 26: 7-10 He spreads out the northern skies over empty space; He suspends the earth over nothing. He wraps up the waters in His clouds, yet the clouds do not burst under their weight. He covers the face of the full moon, spreading His clouds over it. He marks out the horizon on the face of the waters for a boundary between light and darkness.

This passage alone holds the key to some of the greatest mysteries. Before I give any scientific details, here is a bit about Job: no one knows the author of this poetic book from the Old Testament, some believe that it could be Moses or Solomon, it is thought to be very old, some believe that it could be the oldest book in the Bible. How could this ancient book unravel scientific truths?

The first point we deal with, is the fact that the earth hangs in empty space on an imaginary, polar axis. While this ancient book already states it, when did scientists find this truth out?
This idea was mainly introduced by Nicholas Copernicus(who was not only a marvelous scientist but also a pious Christian) around 1514AD and later built upon by Galileo Galilei(who was also a Christian Scientist) - Although some scientists proposed it earlier. While our human minds pick this fact really slowly, the Bible already leads us to the next dimension in science - if only they realized it earlier!

While we talk about the earth, let us slightly digress to attack one of the oldest questions ever raised - Is the earth flat? This was an age old question! Many believed that the earth was flat and that sailors might fall off the earth if they reach the edge .etc. The above scripture, if translated back to the original Hebrew used a word, 'חוג' (chuwg) that means 'circle' or 'sphere'. While the shape of the earth was recorded in Job, it also claims its place in other books:

Isaiah 40:22 - 'the circle of the earth'
Proverbs 8:27 - also uses the Hebrew word for 'sphere' or 'circle' while it speaks about the earth and the heavens.

Again, science clearly fell behind as this idea first evolved from a Greek Astronomer called Eratosthenes during 150BC who predicted the earth's circumference and shape by observing the shape of the moon and the sun. Nicholas Copernicus and Galileo Galilei were involved with this idea later. However, the man who we mostly associate with this fact is Christopher Columbus, who sailed around the world proving that it was not flat!

In addition, in Luke 17:31-34, Jesus mentions, 'On that day' and 'in that night' - many believe that this was a reference to the light being on one side of the globe and darkness on the other simultaneously. Thus reiterating the spherical shape and also establishing another fact!

However, some Bible critics quote Revelation 7:1 that mentions the 'four corners' of the earth - It is vital to remember that this terminology was used to represent the four directions(North, South, East and West). Thus,  we see again that the Bible leads the way to our modern-day science.

Back in Job 26, we see that just these four verses talk about so many things! Not only do they talk about the earth's position in space and its shape, they also talk about the changing faces of the moon and the composition of clouds. The profound imagery used to establish these complicated facts were used for the people of the time when this book was written; thus they can be perceived as complicated or confusing. It certainly makes us question how they knew these facts! The answer to that question is also found in the Bible!

2 Peter 1:21 Holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit

2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

The Bible is God-inspired! The word 'inspired' when translated, means 'breathed'. The words in the Bible are literally from God as He chose to use ordinary men to convey His holy message to the world. Therefore, Bible holds the key that can unlock scientific mysteries, it is at the fore front of many scientific discoveries and it is and will always be inerrant!