Monthly Archives: September 2016

Once piece of factual knowledge that I acquired since the start of the course is that the “add something” experimental approach is a test of sufficiency for a result that we wish to induce. For example, we may want to know if adding certain transcription factors to differentiated cells can induce the cells to become pluripotent.

This new piece of knowledge fits into what I already knew by providing an additional method of studying the functions of genes. Previously, I was more familiar with the “remove something” approach for studying genetics because I volunteer at a lab where experiments are often done by using a wild-type strain as a control group and a knockout strain as an experimental group. In my experience, I have never used the “add something” approach in the lab, so I consider it to be an interesting alternative way to perform experiments.

One thing that comes to mind when thinking about the “add something” approach is using CRISPR as a means to do the “adding”. I often hear about how CRISPR can be used to add or edit genes, but I do not know very much about how CRISPR actually works. I would be interested in learning more about CRISPR in BIOL 463.

In my opinion, the “add something” approach fits into the general concept of using experimental approaches to obtain information. Earlier in this journal, I mentioned the “remove something” approach as another experimental approach used to obtain information. Furthermore, in class, we also discussed the “look” approach as yet another experimental approach. Thinking about the concept of experimental approaches in general, I am curious about other approaches that may be possible which allow scientists to obtain information in different ways. Just like how the “add something” approach is a test of sufficiency and the “remove something” approach is a test of necessity, I wonder how other approaches can provide information in other ways.