MyEnviroMind

A species for us or a species for all? For decades, the ability to genetically modify organisms has roused ethical debate. Yet scrutiny over these debates reveals a worrying trend; more people are supporting a pro-GMO stance on the grounds of solving sustainability issues, before considering whether more ethical and sustainable alternatives exist. Recently in the world of GM, scientists have managed to create “surrogate sires” (Ciccarrelli et al., 2020, p.1). These are sterilised male animals who act as vessels for the production of sperm donated to them from another male carrying a desired trait.  The technique involves using CRISPR-Cas9 technology - a game-changing gene editing tool that can knock out the male fertility gene in sires and make them sterile. Sperm-producing stem cells can then be transplanted into surrogate sires, enabling them to carry traits from the donor. Male mice, pigs, goats and cattle have all been subject to the technology, but so far only surrogate mice h...

Eating disorders can be tricky to manage at the best of times. However, recent changes to day-to-day life have amplified the difficulties for many who struggle with eating disorders. This is reflected in demand for the Helpline service run by BEAT, the UK’s eating disorder charity, increasing by 97% in the past six months compared to the same period last year. Lockdown has been a struggle for us all, but for those with eating disorders, feelings of isolation, uncertainty and a lack of control and structure can manifest in dangerous coping strategies. At least, this has been my experience and those of several other wonderful people I am currently living with in an inpatient ward. I am not yet ready to share my story as it is very personal and I am still going through recovery. However, I feel a strong need to speak up about what I see as an ominous tragedy unfolding before our blind eyes, and it will not quieten down unless we shed a light on the battles that many of us have been facin...