Engineering Biology Problems Book (2021, Obninsk Edition)

which leads to no waste. Their eyes are perfect as buttons for suspenders and their whiskers can be
used as toothpicks. All in all, kind from nature shmoos are just perfect pets. They require very little
care and are wonderful friends for children. Shmoos have a talent to entertain people better than TV or
cinema do.
Industrial evolution might reach a limit and start degrading, which might lead to the disappearance of
significant differences between human and industrial “machines”. This is quite hard to imagine
though. What do you think: would that mean that a human would be able to produce all that he needs
for maintaining life in his or her own body. Or would rather biological machines supply human-being
just like shmoos?
SOLUTION:
Suggesting a solution is hard due to the numerous bioethical restrictions. However, you might suggest
your view and perceptions of technical prospects and borders of ethics.
1.37 The theory of appendix. Currently, there are a few theories of evolutionary functions of the
appendix, e.g. maintaining a normal gut microbiome during gut infections. Suggest the evolution of
the appendix from the perspective of its function of “immunological education” of T-cells for
declining the reaction on antigens of normal gut microbiome bacteria.
SOLUTION:
The solution is under development.
1.38 Virus as a super parasite. In virology, satellites are a group of sub-virus agents, which consist
of nucleic acids. For propagation, the host cell must be infected by another virus.
Some protein structures in eukaryotic cells and virus proteins look alike. [20]
Suggest an architecture of sub-virus agent which uses host-cell proteins for composing of virus
particles.
SOLUTION:
Presumably, for a tight folding of nucleic acid, it might require modification of the N-terminal of such
proteins with the use of specific microRNAs during the process of protein folding. Interesting to note,
that with such architecture of virus it would be invisible for the immune system of the host.
[20. Alcami, A. (2003). Viral mimicry of cytokines, chemokines, and their receptors. Nature Reviews
Immunology, 3(1), 36.]
1.39 The borders of co-cultivation. Co-cultivation influences the regulation, proliferation, and
differentiation of somatic cells. Suggest a mechanism of interaction of different cell types during
co-cultivation.
SOLUTION:
The solution is under development.
1.40 Biobricks. In the article “Can a radio be repaired by a biologist?” [21] the resolution of the lens
should correspond to the problem of biological abstractions, which usage could simplify the
development and modification of biological objects, is observed. Nowadays, the closest thing to that
described a forehead is iGEM Toolkit. The last contains sequences and functions of particular parts of
DNA, which can be used for cloning functional genome parts (“bio-bricks”). Suggest your own set of
bio-bricks for the projection of life machines.
SOLUTION:
Answering this question, use your imagination and break through the borders of already common
biological (e.g. iGEM Registry Part) and medical perceptions. In the figure below an example of
bioengineer is depicted: the components with the approximate time of activation for the subsequent
creation of cell-based and cell-free bioengineering devices.
[21. Lazebnik Yu. Can a biologist fix a radio? — Or, what I learned while studying apoptosis //
Cancer Сell.—2002.—Vol.2.—Р. 179–182.]