I Just Want to Be a Quiet Top Student

The 10 experimental mice in Han Meng's group performed well in the T maze, and Han Meng will do further research on his little friends.

The five experimenters sorted out the raw data of their experimental mice and gave it to Shen Qi.

Shen Qi conducted an in-depth analysis of the original data by combining mathematics, physics, chemistry and biology.

After the SHANK3 gene was modified in Du Yuan's rats, they all died of intracranial hemorrhage within a short period of time.

Why did Yuan Du's editing scheme cause intracranial hemorrhage in rats?

Regarding this point, Shen Qi didn't want to understand it, and he needed to continue to study it.

Cui Hualin and Tang Yaxing's editing scheme made their experimental mice become extremely violent or autistic.

Regarding this point, Shen Qi analyzed the general reason.

According to the editing plan of Cui Hualin and Tang Yaxing, after the modification of SHANK3 gene, new mutations occurred in the rat gene within a short period of time, resulting in irreversible damage to the nervous system of rats.

The above three sets of experiments failed.

From the failure, Shen Qi summed up two words: password.

What is the password? where is it? How should it be controlled?

Peeling off layer by layer from large to small, the nucleus contains chromosomes, which are composed of DNA and histones.

DNA was considered to be a protein molecule in the early days, but it was later confirmed that DNA is actually a deoxyribonucleic acid molecule.

A gene is a DNA sequence that contains genetic information. Its code is the genetic information. It expresses the information it carries by producing proteins through transcription and translation.

The growth of an organism is caused by successive cell divisions, during which chromosomes are duplicated.

At the same time, as the password is passed on, it is also possible to generate a new password.

Shen Qi believes that the code book is hidden in the filament structure of the chromosome, and the code can be written and read. The key question is, how does the cell select histones and which method is used to write and read the code?

In order to master the precise operating principles of biological codes, Shen Qi first studied genes, followed by DNA and proteins, and then chromosomes and cells.

The difficulty in studying genes lies in gene mutations, and Shen Qi feels that purely biological methods cannot solve this problem.

τ=Te^W/kT

Shen Qi wrote down this formula.

This is an unproven formula, known in academic circles as the "Mutation Possibility Formula".

Planck's discovery of quantum theory in 1900, de Vries, Collins, and Churchmark's rediscovery of Mendel's papers in 1900, and de Vries' papers on mutations published between 1901 and 1903, thus It can be seen that quantum theory and modern genetics were produced almost at the same time.

Is there a connection between quantum theory and genetics?

Shen Qi believes that the two disciplines will not be connected until they are developed to a higher level.

Today, quantum theory and genetics have been developed to a high level.

Thus a new school of thought --- quantum biology was born.

Quantum biologists try to explain mutations through quantum theory.

τ in the formula of mutation possibility is the expected time of mutation of threshold energy W.

The quantum biology school has not yet proved the universality of τ=Te^W/kT, so this formula is temporarily called "mutation possibility formula" instead of "mutation formula".

"Threshold is the order of magnitude needed to explain the persistence of biological heritability..."

Shen Qi frowned and thought, and he continued to analyze the experimental data of rats from Han Meng's group and Wu Junqiang's group.

Not long after, Wu Junqiang said with a sad face: "Director Shen, there is bad news. The IQ of my experimental rats has dropped. They can only walk out of the all-right maze, but in other respects, they have become like stupid rats." madness."

Shen Qi didn't think so: "No, it's not bad news, it's good news."

Wu Junqiang was a little puzzled: "Is this good news that the IQ of experimental mice has been reduced through gene editing?"

Shen Qi expressed his point of view: "Regulating IQ through genetic means, the so-called regulation should be adjustable up or down, this is a complete set of operating procedures. Of course, we prefer to increase IQ, But it is undeniable that the academic value of lowering the IQ. In some specific cases, lowering the IQ of the experimental target may be of greater practical use."

Wu Junqiang's body trembled: "Shock?"

Shen Qi smiled slightly: "Xiaoqiang, how deep do you know about τ=Te^W/kT?"

"This is the mutation possibility formula proposed by the Quantum Biology School. I know something about it. My tutor abroad is obsessed with quantum biology. This is how I understand this formula..."

After some exchanges, Wu Junqiang suddenly became enlightened, and he began to draft the paper.

The title of the paper is "A Rat Study of Multiple SHANK3 Gene Editing Approaches."

The main idea of ​​the abstract is: "Studies have shown that the IQ of rodents is affected by the SHANK3 gene to a certain extent. This research group selected Wistar rats as the experimental subjects, and through mismatch editing, nucleotide excision editing, base excision editing, synchronous Source recombination editing, non-homologous end joining editing and other methods have been used to edit the SHANK3 gene in experimental rats, and preliminary research progress has been made."

Four other experimenters also joined the ranks of writing the paper.

Han Meng wrote in his part of the thesis that the IQ of the experimental rats was significantly improved through the mismatch editing method. And listed the main experimental data and analyzed the reasons.

Wu Junqiang wrote in the part of the thesis he was responsible for that the IQ of experimental rats was reduced by base excision editing. And listed the main experimental data and analyzed the reasons.

Cui Hualin, Tang Yaxing, and Du Yuan also presented their experimental data and results.

Cui Hualin, Tang Yaxing, and Du Yuan couldn't figure out the real cause of intracranial hemorrhage, rage, and autism in the experimental mice. The reason analysis of this part of the failure lessons was written by Shen Qi.

Thanks to everyone's hard work, "Studies on Rats with Various SHANK3 Gene Editing Methods" was finished soon.

It seemed a bit hasty, but Shen Qi thought it could be published first.

There are many types of animal experiments, such as oral or injection drug experiments on animals, the experimental cycle is the drug effect cycle and the animal's metabolic cycle.

For gene editing experiments on animals, the experimental period should be the normal life cycle of the animal, and even take into account the life cycle of one or several generations of experimental animal offspring.

Normally, Wistar rats can live for several years.

Then the papers produced by the gene editing experiments on Wistar rats should not be completed until the death of Wistar rats in a few years.

The author of the paper even had to observe various indicators of the offspring of Wistar rats before finishing the paper and giving a genetic conclusion.

If this is done, it will take at least five or six years.

Shen Qi couldn't wait that long, and neither could his five doctoral candidates.

So they wrote in the abstract and summary of the paper: "This experiment has achieved preliminary research results. In the next stage, we will continue to observe various indicators of the experimental rats and study the operation principle of the SHANK3 gene more deeply."

It must be written like this, because the research conclusions of the next stage may overturn the preliminary conclusions of this paper.

In the preliminary conclusion, Shen Qi's team gave their core point of view:

1. The SHANK3 gene does affect the IQ of rats to a certain extent;

2. Editing the SHANK3 gene by technical means can adjust the IQ of rats;

3. There are risks in adjusting IQ, and there is a high probability of causing new mutations, but the mechanism of new mutations has not yet been fully understood. Before this team gives the final conclusion, other research teams must not imitate.