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Cell Metabolism Artificially Enhanced

NewScientist is reporting that Swiss researchers have shown that a cell's metabolism can be increased without altering the genetic makeup. Small plastic packages of enzymes have been successfully inserted into cells, increasing metabolism. "Meier and colleagues coated their polymer vesicles in a chemical that encouraged human white blood cells called macrophages to engulf them. The small capsules contained enzymes, just like natural organelles. The enzymes chosen produced fluorescent chemicals, signaling they were working without problems inside their new host."

4 of 97 comments (clear)

  1. Re:What a stupid anti-fat drug this can become by moderatorrater · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Perhaps he's a fat person who hates himself for being so fat? Judging from the site he's posting on and the hate that he's spewing for no apparent reason, I'm going to guess that he's 25, has the mentality of a 15 year old, lives in his mother's basement and gets told how dirty and sinful he must be to have so much weight.

    But those are just guesses. Who knows, maybe I'm being optimistic :D

  2. Re:What a stupid anti-fat drug this can become by moderatorrater · · Score: 4, Insightful

    What are needed aren't more stimulants or excuses, eat for performance not for pleasure and lift your fucking ass! Why is that? A fat person who's lazy is going to consume the same amount of resources as a skinnier person who runs. How is food significantly more or less suitable for pleasure than, say, the nintendo DS you mentioned in one of your previous comments? How is it less appropriate than the internet or any other pleasurable pursuit?

    What's funny is that there's plenty of food, the shortfall is mostly due to diverting the food to ethanol and feeding livestock. The biggest obstacle to feeding the poor (arguably the only obstacle) is politics and other, non-food-related problems.

    Exception being people who really have some form of medical condition which make their metabolism or body not work as intended, but those people are probably very rare, if there even are any Wow. Publicly doubting that there are medical conditions that could make someone fat. What a great, insightful comment you make; you're very rational. Next time you make a comment like this, you might as well just scream about how much you hate fat people and leave the environmentalism and poor people out of it.
  3. Re:What a stupid anti-fat drug this can become by aliquis · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Quite close. I used to be beat up as child, have always been small, am 28, has the mentality of someone much young, live alone, have thought that I was "fat" even thought I wasn't (went down to 54 kg at 173 cm as worst), and kind of still does.

    Still valid points thought.

    I know how I still feel if I have chocolate nearby, I could easily eat the whole bar but I don't because I know it's a bad idea. Some people don't think so it seems. Most of my food is very boring and I don't feel an urge to eat lots of it, but I try to eat enough because I know I need it.

    If I would just eat what I feelt like eating I would lose weight. But as I said most people don't eat because they need to, they eat because.. well.. they have nothing else to do atm and the food is available.

  4. Re:wonderful by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    When is the last time you saw a plant walking by? "The base of a triffid is a large muscle-like root mass comprising many thick tentacles. When dormant/docile, these tentacles are rooted into the ground and are used to draw nutrients, as with a normal plant. When active, triffids use these tentacles to propel themselves along at a moderate walking pace. They are capable of moving faster over open ground."

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