Embryology

The Virtual Human Embryo – EHD

Welcome to The Virtual Human Embryo (VHE), a 14,250-page, illustrated atlas of human embryology, which presents all 23 Carnegie Stages of development during the 8-week embryonic period.

This $3.2 million, 11-year initiative engaged a team led by Dr. Raymond F. Gasserone of the leading embryologists of the last half century. His team created thousands of restored, digitized, and labeled serial sections from the world's largest collection of preserved human embryos. They used these serial sections to create animations, fly-throughs, and 3-D reconstructions.

The VHE is now available to researchers, educators, and students everywhere. Read More...

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The Virtual Human Embryo - EHD

Embryology

Buyer Beware: IVF Damages and the Value of Life – American Council on Science and Health

Regulation as a solution?

Some legal scholars call for regulation. [1] Certainly, it would help. But the UKs reproductive industry is strictly regulated by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), and problems still proliferate.

In 2014 the HEFA reported adverse incidents at a frequency of one per every one hundred cycles of treatment, similar to error rates in US facilities.

Wrongs Without Legal Remedies

In addition to duplicitous doctors using their sperm to inseminate patients, discussed here, errors include losing or destroying genetic material, implanting the wrong embryo, switching embryos, and poor screening of donors. Currently, IVF-born children are generally barred from suing the facility for negligently caused damages related to their birth. Such lawsuits would, if allowed, result in not only compensatory damages, alleviating a life of problems, but could have a deterrence effect on preventing shoddy practices.

Cases of wrong embryo implantation are said to be rare, likely because the parents only discover something is wrong via a color mismatch. With the advent of genetic testing, that is sure to change. Using 23andMe and similar products, children are learning for themselves that the person they thought was their biological father - was someone other than the person they call Dad.

In some cases, embryos were implanted in the wrong mother, i.e., switched before pregnancy. One heart-rendering case, memorialized in Rogers v. Fasano, revolved around the return of the biological child to their biological parents when the problem was discovered after birth. But this week, a switched embryo was discovered during pregnancy in a case involving the same embryologist as in the Fasano situation. The pregnant mother decided to abort the fetus rather than risk becoming too attached to it and undergoing, as in the Fasano case, a potential custody battle.

A Dilemma Requiring the Wisdom of Solomon

These cases are without legal remedy. The biological mother has no right to sound in, at least not before birth. The woman carrying the child in essence, a non-voluntary surrogate bears the risks of pregnancy and the likelihood the child will be taken from her if she carries it to term. Solomon would have convened a court and asked the birth mother if she would prefer killing the child or allowing another woman to have it- we know the answer. In our world, no one wins.

More Orphan Injuries

In other instances, the IVF facility knowingly mis-markets a sperm donors credentials as, lets say, being healthy and intelligent when instead he has a history of serious, hereditable illness. Wrongful birth, the mothers claim, is generally allowed, providing limited recovery. Previously, these claims were often brought when the mother suffered rubella during pregnancy, and the physician failed to advise her of the birth risks or need for genetic testing. Successful claims were asserted where an unwanted child was born or born with horrific medical problems.

But in the IVF cases, the resultant child is denied recovery; the childs claim now called wrongful Life is typically rejected. Better to be born with a bleak future, say the courts, than not to be born at all. That may well be the case, but the courts could make that future more bearable and deter future misconduct by awarding compensatory and punitive high damages.

Professor Dov Fox [2] calls for expanding the legal framework for civil claims, invoking a newly conceived tort of reproductive negligence. I have suggested using existing torts in new ways to address the issues. [3] Regulation and expanding liability would undoubtedly result in deterrence and better self-regulation by these facilities.

What happens if a defendant goofs but the damages are questionable?

Until recently, cases revolved around egregious actions by IVF labs or physicians and sorely distressing outcomes that went without legal deterrence for wrongdoing. And so, it continued with sad but not necessarily egregious outcomes, still involving wrongful conduct.

Consider Jessica Cramblett.

Jessica Cramblett, a white lesbian mother, delivered a bi-racial child after using donated sperm. She sought damages for breach of warranty and wrongful birth claiming difficulties in raising her child. In Crambletts case, the defendant failed to provide sperm of white Donor 380, Ms. Cramblatts choice; instead, through a technical error, supplying sperm of Black Donor 330. That kind of mistake is the stuff of typical negligence (or malpractice, in the case of professionals). But negligence suits require not just carelessness but that the claimant suffered provable damages, which the courts found was absent. Her claims were dismissed at the state, and federal levels.

The Cramblett incident transpired in 2011. With no regulations, supervised record-keeping, or lawsuits permitting significant damages, perhaps it isnt surprising that similar conduct continued.

Heather Wilhelm-Routenberg, had been sexually traumatized in her younger days and consequently fears men. She and her partner went to the CNY fertility clinic seeking a female embryo. Instead of the female child they sought and contracted for, they got a boy. A healthy boy, to be sure, but a boy, nonetheless. Heather claims significant emotional problems, depression, suicidal ideation, and emotional distancing from the child. She and her partner sued.

It seems clear the facility goofed. Because of Heathers history, she undoubtedly suffered. But millions of infertile women would be thrilled to have any healthy child. Are Heathers damages the only ones the law cares about? To me, the most injured person in this saga is the child, deprived of maternal love and bonding for months following his birth and denied legal redress.

Commodification of Children

Taken to an extreme, the used car approach regarding enforcing warranties when it comes to ordering or specifying children is chilling.

Consider the Japanese case, where a woman recently sued a donor for $2.86 million for the emotional distress on learning that he was not who he said he was. She wanted a Japanese graduate from Kyoto University. It turns out he was Chinese and didnt go to the school. When she found this out, she gave the child up for adoption and sued.

The Japanese fertility system forces women to enlist donors privately. A robust and well-regulated fertility system would right the problem. But in its absence, should society condone giving the child up for adoption?

The childs rejection because the child did not represent what was ordered highlights that the child was treated as a commodity.

Perhaps the ultimate example of consumerism in the child-selection business is the Belgian case involving parents who specified a child with a particular genetic makeup to use the child as a savior-sibling (using the babys bone marrow to cure an illness of their already-existing child Ive written previously about those ethical concerns). Instead, they got a healthy child. Worse still, at least to the parents, the embryo twinned. So, they got two healthy children. They then went on to have another child - which proved to be an eligible savior-sibling. The court awarded the couple more than $40,000 for their shock and impoverishment (emotional distress), ruling that the couple wanted two or three children within their family project, but under no circumstances, four.

All in the Family

Sometimes IVF facilities are retained to facilitate sperm-egg fertilization of the biological parents. Gamete donors would not be involved. But, when fertility facilities err, parents, expecting joint biological progeny, discover that a sperm donor has been used, and the child is only biologically related to the mother.

This type of mix-up was discovered in a recent Ohio case. The parents of an adult daughter who used an at-home DNA test sued the clinic where the procedure occurred, claiming medical malpractice, battery, lack of informed consent, multiple instances of negligence, the failed safeguarding of genetic material, and more.

Learning that your entire reality isn't what you believed it to be is hard to explain; it's sort of waking up in somebody else's life

Mike Harvey [the adoptive father]

I

Its not clear how the error happened, other than determining that the biological father was another client of the facility at the same time. Damages in the case could relate to the innate need to create a lineage, something recognized by the Singapore courts creating a new cause of action, the loss of genetic affinity.

But is this where we want the law to go? Wouldnt it be good for these parents, who really wanted children, to be grateful for receiving a healthy child? Wouldnt it be even better if the fertility industry was regulated (or self-policed), so these easily avoidable problems, which probably existed in significant numbers for a long time and went unnoticed, didnt happen in the first place? And wouldnt it be best to allow the child to sue if they can prove real hardship which might carry the additional benefit of deterrence?

[1] Naomi Cahn, Professor University of Virginia, School of Law Sonia Suter, Georgetown University.

[2] Professor of Law and Director for Center for Health Law Policy & Bioethics University of California, San Diego

[3] Barbara Pfeffer Billauer The Sperminator as a Public Nuisance: Redressing Wrongful Life Claims in New Ways (Aka New Tricks for Old Torts),

Wrongful Life in the Age of CRISPR-CAS: Using the Legal Fiction of The Conceptual Being to Redress Wrongful Gamete Manipulation

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Buyer Beware: IVF Damages and the Value of Life - American Council on Science and Health

Embryology

The Stark Reality of Parents’ COVID Deaths Grandparents Step In – The Washington Informer

A newly published report reveals that 200,000 children have reportedly lost parents to COVID-19. And as young orphans attempt to cope with such tragic losses, many grandparents have assumed the role of primary caregivers.

The Covid Collaborative coalitionestimatedthat about 167,000 American children lost a parent or primary caregiver to the pandemic, with much higher rates among communities of color.

However,researchers at Imperial College Londonput the number of children who have lost one or both parents at nearly 200,000.

Generations United, a D.C.-based nonprofit whose goal is to improve the lives of children, youth and older adults, reported that before the pandemic, 2.6 million children already lived with their grandparents.

The group said when a parent dies many grandparents provide childcare, transportation and financial help.

If something happens to us, what happens to the children? wrote Cassandra Gentry, a grandmother raising two grandchildren.

Americas COVID-19 crisis has not ended but we have begun to count the staggering size of our loss, researchers at Covid Collaborative revealed in a report called Hidden Pain: Children Who Lost a Parent or Caregiver to Covid-19 and What the Nation Can Do for Them.

An outbreak beyond precedent has led to deaths on the scale of a global war. Moreover, these tragedies were experienced in the isolation of pandemic precautions and hospital wards, the researchers stated.

The group said hundreds of thousands have died simultaneously but largely apart.

Composed of a diverse and comprehensive team of leading experts in health, education and the economy, Covid Collaborative noted that some of the cruelest pain has come to a group with the least capacity to understand and cope with it.

More than 167,000 children roughly one in 450 of all children in the U.S. have lost at least one of their caretakers to COVID-19.

Statistics show that non-White children had the highest rates of caregiver loss.

Nationally, non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic children lost caregivers at more than twice the rate 2.4 and 2.5 times, respectively, of white children.

American Indian or Alaska Native [AI/AN] children and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander children had the highest rate of caregiver loss, at nearly four times the rate of white children.

Researchers found that those differences are due to higher COVID-19 death rates and larger average household sizes with co-residing grandparents or others being more common among non-white populations.

These disparities are most concentrated in the youngest age cohort, the authors wrote.

Disparities also varied by state and territory.

The District of Columbia had the highest rates of Black and Hispanic caregiver loss relative to their white peers 11 and 18 times higher than the loss rates for white children, respectively.

States with larger American Indian populations had the highest hidden pain risk of COVID-19 caregiver loss for AI/AN children.

In Mississippi, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota and Utah, the rate of caregiver loss for AI/AN children was more than 10 times that of white children.

Further, the researchers found that more than 70,000 children have been deprived of a parent with nearly the same number having lost a grandparent who lived in the home.

At the extreme end, more than 13,000 children have lost their only in-home caregiver.For them, COVID-19 has done more than hurt their lives; it has ended their world.

Especially early in development, a parent or family caregiver fills a childs entire sky providing most of their stability, confidence and care.The sudden, seemingly unexplainable caregivers departure leaves a void of affection and direction with which each child must struggle to fill.

Researchers said the traumatic loss had been associated with depression, addiction, lower academic achievement and higher dropout rates.

It represents lost potential for individuals and society.

My client is a 60-year-old grandmother who is taking care of three grandchildren two of them are her sons who lost his life to HIV/AIDS while their mother is serving a term in prison for drug trafficking, said Dr. Liz Jane, a physician who specializes in embryology, pharmacology, immunology, internal medicine and surgery.

Dr. Jane said her clients other child is the son of a daughter who left home.

Its been a tough life for the lady who at times depends on the well-wishers to help her with foodstuff, she said. COVID made everything worse when many of her helpers lost their jobs.

In its report, Covid 19 Orphanhood,Imperial College of London officials noted that orphanhood and caregiver deaths are a hidden pandemic resulting from COVID-19-associated deaths.

Accelerating equitable vaccine delivery is key to prevention, the reports authors stated.

Psychosocial and economic support can help families nurture children bereft of caregivers and help to ensure that institutionalization is avoided. These data show the need for an additional pillar of our response: prevent, detect, respond and care for children, they said.

Based on best evidence and practice, Covid Collaborative officials offered steps that policymakers, educators and leaders in the nonprofit and private sectors could take to help children who have lost a parent to COVID-19.

Their recommendations include:

The undertaking of a coordinated strategy to comprehensively identify children who have lost a parent or a caretaker guardian to COVID-19 through schools, community-based organizations, primary care settings and the use of municipal administrative records.

Researchers also said its crucial to create a COVID-19 Bereaved Childrens Fund and implement a public education campaign to encourage families, youth and children to seek help and connect them to resources in their communities and schools.

Additionally, they said the federal government should provide funding and technical assistance through the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to expand the grief-competence of schools, community-based organizations, faith-based institutions and other community leaders.

When a parent dies, the child is challenged in the short-term to cope with grief and the circumstances of the loss through bereavement, the reports authors concluded. The child must meet this challenge without the lost parent, who may have been a primary resource for structuring their experiences and co-regulating their emotions.Children and families are challenged to adapt in other ways to the parents absence in both the short and long terms. However, family functioning must be preserved so that childrens needs continue to be met across development.

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The Stark Reality of Parents' COVID Deaths Grandparents Step In - The Washington Informer

Embryology

IVF Add-Ons: Why You Should Be Cautious Of These Expensive Procedures – SheThePeople

While in-vitro fertilisation has significantly improved the chances of helping people with fertility problems start a family, its still only successful around 24% of the time. This is why some people trying to conceive via IVF may decide to look into so-called add-on treatments in the hopes of increasing their chances of having a baby.

There are a range of add-on procedures that may be offered to patients by both private and public health providers. But the problem with these procedures is that theres currently little evidence that they actually improve the chances of having a baby. Despite this, health providers, including the UKs NHS, continue to market these costly procedures to patients.

So if youve been considering an IVF add-on, its very important you understand exactly what they are, and why they may not increase your chances of conceiving.

Time-lapse imaging is a non-invasive technology. This involves growing the embryo in a specially designed incubator fitted with a camera. This camera takes pictures of each embryo at frequent intervals, allowing embryologists to select an embryo thats most likely to develop into a baby. This allows embryologists to choose suitable embryos with no additional harm to the embryo or patient.

During conventional IVF procedures, the embryo needs to be removed from the incubator and examined under a microscope. So the advantage of time-lapse imaging is that embryos can be left undisturbed in the incubator until embryo transfer.

Suggested Reading:Endometriosis Diagnosis And Treatment: We Need Advocacy, Awareness And Algorithms

Unfortunately, theres currently no evidence to suggest this technology will improve the chances of having a baby compared to conventional IVF methods.

PGT-A (aneuploidy screening after embryo biopsy) is an invasive procedure that involves taking several cells from an embryo and assessing the number of chromosomes. This analysis can be used to show if the embryo has a normal or abnormal set of chromosomes.

Traditionally, this treatment is offered to women who are older, typically over the age of 37, as theres a higher chance of chromosome abnormalities in her embryos. PGT-A is also offered to patients with a history of miscarriages or those with a family history of aneuploidy (having missing or extra chromosomes).

The advantage of PGT-A is that it allows people to have an embryo transferred thats genetically normal. Traditional methods of assessment, which would only view the embryo under a microscope prior to transfer, wont be able to detect this.

However, there are currently questions over the reliability of procedure. So while its more likely that an embryo with a normal set of chromosomes will be transferred, the procedure has not been shown to increase the chances of having a baby.

In order to become pregnant, the embryo needs to implant itself into the lining of the womb.

But to improve the chance of this happening in an IVF cycle, some clinics offer a procedure called endometrial scratching. Its thought that by scratching the endometrial lining with a small, sterile plastic tube, the body will help trigger repair mechanisms where it was scratched.

The hormones and proteins needed to repair the lining are said to improve the chances of the embryo implanting itself. The treatment is invasive and can cause discomfort for some patients. Its also unknown whether theres any risk to the embryo with this procedure.

Embryo scratching is typically only offered to women who have failed repeated implantation attempts. Theres currently no evidence showing it to be better than conventional IVF methods in helping women conceive.

Suggested Reading:Ultra-Processed Foods Are Trashing Our Health And The Planet

Embryo glue works by placing embryos in a culture dish with the liquid hyaluronan up to 30 minutes before an embryo transfer. Hyaluronan is abundant in our body and is similar to the fluid found between our joints. Its thought that doing this will improve the chances of the embryo implanting itself in the womb.

Researchers arent entirely sure how hyaluronan works, but many believe it helps embryos better stick to other cells during implantation. However, to date, no large studies have shown embryo glue to have a significant benefit on improving conception.

While these arent the only add-on treatments out there, its worth noting that no add-ons have been given a green light rating by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA). Green light ratings are only given to add-on procedures shown to be safe and effective at improving chances of conception beyond conventional IVF.

While fertility clinics can help people struggling to conceive, its important to understand add-ons largely have no benefit over traditional IVF techniques especially considering how costly these treatments can be. Often, a standard IVF cycle will offer the best chance of success on its own.

Matt Cotterill, Lecturer in Clinical Embryology, University of Leeds published this article first on The Conversation.

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IVF Add-Ons: Why You Should Be Cautious Of These Expensive Procedures - SheThePeople

Embryology

Attitude And Perception Of Medical Students Towards Histolog | AMEP – Dove Medical Press

Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Wollo University, Dessie, Amhara, Ethiopia

Correspondence: Daniel Teshome, PO.BOX-1145, Tel +251919158464, Email [emailprotected]

Introduction: Students perceptions and feedback have a significant impact on academic progress.Objective: To assess the attitude and perception of medical students towards histology subject at Wollo University, Northern Ethiopia.Methods: An institution-based cross-sectional study design was carried out in Wollo University from January, 2021 to February, 2021. A pre-tested and structured self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. All opinions were rated using a positive-point Likert scale, which ranges from strongly disagree to strongly agree. The data were entered and analyzed using SPSS version 20.Results: A total of 184 students participated in this study, with a 100% response rate. Of the respondents, 84.24% of them were very much interested in histology subject. However, only 31 (16.85%) thought of histology as a career choice. The two major reason for not joining histology was less chance of promotion (65, 35.33%) and financial growth (41, 22.28%) followed by difficulty of the subject (23, 12.5%). Most of the respondents (155, 84.24%) agreed or strongly agreed that histology knowledge will help them a lot in their future clinical practice. Regarding different methods of teaching histology, our study reveals that there were 82.61% of participants who agreed with the proposed integration of histology and pathology. Moreover, system approach in teaching pathology with other disciplines was preferred by 70.1% and was comparable to several studies.Conclusion: Overall, the study findings indicate that medical students have a favorable attitude toward histology courses. But, they are unable to join the field due to the lower chance of promotion and financial growth. The curricular integration of histology and pathology in the first year needs to be continued, and much effort is needed to increase students affinity for microscopic anatomy. This evidence serves as an additional motive for the development of histology courses focusing on practical application of knowledge in a clinically oriented setting.

Histology is the science of microscopic structures of human tissues and organs.1 Since it is a pre-clinical medical subject, it is importantfor understanding the complexity of cell and tissue organization and function.2,3 Understanding the normal morphology and function of organs is important not only in the early years of medical school, but also serves as a foundation for pathology.4 Understanding disease mechanisms in terms of altered human body structure necessitate a thorough understanding of histology.5 Anatomy is a highly tough subject for the vast majority of students, and it is regarded as the most extensive subject of the first year of medical school.6 Gross anatomy education receives the majority of the overall number of hours allotted to anatomy instruction. Students are slower to recognize the importance of histology because gross anatomy is overemphasized, and their attitudes against histology form early in the course.7

Teaching histology as an image-intensive science is one of the most difficult tasks encountered by medical educators. Both traditional and nontraditional methods have been used8 and modalities such as peer teaching,9 audiovisual tools,10 and technological and traditional drawing approaches have been extensively studied and tested.11,12 Furthermore, virtual microscopy has proven to be advantageous in a variety of ways.13 Understanding histology is essential for every medical student when doing pathology at medical school.14,15

In many Ethiopian medical schools, innovative curriculums have been implemented, all of which have in one way or another achieved system-based curricula or curricula based on problem-based learning, In our medical school, the students taught the course histology during their first and second years of study. At our university, a systemic approach to teaching histology was used, with 4045 students in a single class and an adequate instructor lecturing in person. Both a laboratory-based and a theoretical method of teaching histology were applied.16

According to a study conducted in Pakistan on the clinical importance of histology, students do not recognize the importance of histology in clinical practice.17 Another study conducted by Pushpa et al, on the perception and attitudes of first-year medical students in India found that the majority of the students attitudes towards histology improved over the course of a year, from ambiguity to clarity, neglect to interest, and lastly, increased self-confidence.18 Furthermore, medical students have a favorable attitude toward histology, according to a survey done in Serbia on the relevance and attitudes toward histology courses.19

Many researches has been done to show how important gross anatomy is in clinical practice.2023 However; there have been few studies on the importance of histology in medical school. There have been no studies in Ethiopia to analyze medical students perceptions of the clinical importance of histology to date. Histology teachers will be able to design methods for excellence in academic and clinical competency based on an assessment of medical students attitudes toward histology. The purpose of this study is to determine how medical students feel about the clinical importance of histology. In order to construct effective learning strategies for teaching microscopic anatomy, it will be necessary to first identify student attitudes.

An institution-based cross-sectional study design was carried out from January 2021 February 2021 at the College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Wollo University which is a public university in Northern Ethiopia.

For data collection, a pre-tested and structured self-administered questionnaire was used. The questionnaire was adapted from previous research on the subject.1719,2426 A pre-test was conducted on 5% of the sample size to assess the substance and clarity of the questionnaire. During the 2021 academic calendar, all PC-II (Pre-clinical II or second-year medical students), C-I (Clinical year I or third-year medical students), C-II (Clinical year II or fourth-year medical students), and interns undergraduate medical students at Wollo Universitys College of Medicine and Health Sciences were participated in this study. A total of 184 questionnaires were given to the students after receiving their consent for participation in this study. The survey comprised of the questions on socio-demographic characteristics, students attitudes towards histology subjects, interest and career choices of the students, different methods of teaching histology, and their perceptions regarding the integration of histology and pathology in integrated courses. All opinions were rated using a positive point Likert scale, which ranges from strongly disagree to strongly agree. After completion of data collection, the data has been checked for errors and completeness to assure the quality of the data.

For this study, Epi-info version 7.1 was used to clean, code, and enter the data, which was then exported to SPSS version 20 for analysis. All levels of opinion were evaluated. Descriptive statistics and Pearsons chi-square test were used.

A total of 184 students participated in this study, with a 100% response rate. More than one-third of the respondents (128, 69.57%) were within the age group of 2327. The majority of the respondents (151, 82.07%) were males. More than half of the participants (102, 55.98%) came from rural areas of the country. Nearly half of the respondents (88, 47.82%) were of Orthodox religion (57, 30.98%). Almost one-third of the participants (58, 31.52%) were from the Amhara ethnic group, followed by the Oromo (53, 28.8%). Among the respondents involved in this study, 49 (26.63%), 46 (25%), 48 (26.1%), and 41 (22.27%) were PC-II, C-I, C-II, and intern students, respectively (Table 1).

Table 1 Socio-Demographic Characteristics of the Respondents

One hundred sixty-two (88.02%) of the respondents perceived that histology is important in medicine. More than three-fourths of them agreed that learning histology (155, 84.24%) and histology lab sessions (144, 78.26%) was interesting. Out of the 184 respondents, 121 (65.76%) of them found practical histology was more difficult than theory. Of the participants, only 76 (41.3%) of the respondents reported that their grades in practical histology exams were higher than theoretical exams. When compared to other disciplines, only 68 (36.96%) of the participants felt histology was easier than other basic medical science subjects. More than one-third of the respondents (72, 39.13%) perceived that practical histology needs more lab sessions and more effort was put forth by the instructor than what the student took. Most of the respondents (155, 84.24%) agreed or strongly agreed that histology knowledge will help them a lot in their future clinical practice. Regarding the knowledge retention of histology, 134 (72.83%) students responded that they remembered normal microscopic morphology well when they tried to identify microscopic disease morphology in the introductory pathology course (Table 2).

Table 2 Medical Student Attitudes Towards the Course Histology During Their Study Year

Of the respondents, one hundred fifty-five (84.24%) of them were very much interested in histology subjects. However, only 31 (16.85%) of the respondents thought of histology as a career choice. In addition, only 33 (17.93%) of the respondents will guide their juniors to join histology as a career. The two major reasons for not joining histology were less chance of promotion (65, 35.33%) and financial growth (41, 22.28%) followed by the difficulty of the subject (23, 12.5%). More than three-fourths of the respondents (145, 78.8%) agreed that the histology teachers encourage the students to join the field. Out of 184 study participants, more than half (121, 65.76%) of them perceived that an integrated curriculum increased their interest in the histology course (Table 3).

Table 3 Career Choice and Interest of Medical Students Towards Histology Subject

One hundred and fifty-two (82.61%) of the respondents preferred the integration of histology and pathology lectures and lab sessions into integrated courses starting from the first year instead of teaching each discipline alone. Besides, adding case discussion (PBL) combining histology and pathology was preferred by the majority of the respondents (125, 67.93%). The majority of the respondents (110, 59.78%) agreed that the microscope is more effective than showing images in teaching histology and that preparing tissue slides was the preferred teaching methodology, as indicated by the majority of the respondents (165, 89.67%). But, nearly half (85, 46.2%) of them agreed that it is more effective to draw microscopic images during teaching histology. In addition, most of the study participants (129, 70.1%) responded that the systemic approach is more effective in teaching histology than teaching each discipline alone. About half (83, 45.12%) of the study participants agreed or strongly agreed that examining a normal and abnormal example of the same tissue at the same time is better than observing alone. However, 76 (41.3%) of them perceived that histology lab material in the first year was not restricted to what needed to be compared with common pathologic conditions (Table 4).

Table 4 Participants Perceptions of Different Methods for Improving Histology Teaching

A variety of strategies were tried to improve students comprehension and knowledge retention. Students at our institution complete general histology courses by the end of the second semester of their second year. The courses major goal is to educate students on how to recognize and understand the structures of cells, tissues, and organs using light microscopy in connection to their function. This is a prerequisite for the succeeding years of education, when students will be exposed to abnormal organ structure and function. In addition, their capacity to integrate the knowledge gained in basic and clinical medical courses will be predicated on their ability to diagnose and treat diverse diseases properly and critically in their future medical practice.27

In our study, a large number of students found histology is important in medicine and were interested to learn. Besides, the majority of students thought that practical histology was more difficult than theory and gross morphology. This was higher than the number reported in a recent study from Serbia (79.2%).19 This discrepancy may be due to variations in the teaching methodology of histology instructors in two countries. In our study, the majority of students agreed that histology knowledge would be very useful to them in their future clinical practices, and they remembered practical histology well during the pathology introductory course, which helped them in practical pathology. This finding is in agreement with the study conducted in Serbia.19 However; these findings contradict a study conducted in central Jordan, which found that only 31.3% of respondents remembered practical histology well during the pathology introductory course.23 This difference may be due to variation in the organization of histology labs and integrated curricular differences between the two countries.

In the present study, 84.24% of medical students were interested in histology subjects. But, only 16.85% of them wish to join the field as a future career. Besides, the main reasons for not joining the basic medical science field were that there was less chance of promotion and less financial growth in these fields. This finding is in line with the study conducted in Ethiopia, China, Malaysia, and South Asia, which found that there is a limited opportunity in basic medical science, restricted to teaching, research, and diagnostic laboratories.28,29 In our study, nearly one-third of the medical students acknowledge the significance of the integration of histology with clinical discipline, which helps in a better understanding of respective subjects. However, 34.24% of those polled said the integrated curriculum had not increased their interest in basic medical sciences. This finding is in agreement with Teshome et al reports.28 Regarding different methods of teaching histology, our study reveals that there were 82.61% of participants who agreed or strongly agreed with the proposed integration of histology and pathology. Furthermore, a system approach to teaching pathology in conjunction with other disciplines was preferred by 70.1%, which was consistent with previous researches.24,30,31

An integrated curriculum in teaching laboratory medicine has been shown to be effective in medical students satisfaction and better understanding.32,33 The need to start the integration of histology and pathology in the first year is well highlighted by the ratio of students who were unsatisfied with practical histology in the first year (39.13%) and the significant proportion of students who were uncomfortable with co-presenting normal and abnormal examples at the same time in the second year pathology introduction (45.12%). Correlating normal histology of organs with the morphology of disease is a major learning outcome that boosts students knowledge and understanding.34 In addition, combining this integration with new teaching and learning methods such as virtual microscopy needs to be tested.35 However, our results showed that microscopy is still the preferred tool for 59.74% of students.

This cross-sectional study examined the attitudes and perceptions of medical students towards histology subjects at Wollo University, Ethiopia. Overall, the study findings indicate that medical students have a favorable attitude toward histology courses. But, they are unable to join the field due to the lower chance of promotion and financial growth. The curricular integration of histology and pathology in the first year needs to be continued, and much effort is needed to increase students affinity for microscopic anatomy. This evidence could be used as an additional motive for the development of histology courses, with special emphasis on the practical application of knowledge in a clinically-oriented setting.

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Ethical clearance was obtained from Wollo University, College of Medicine and Health Sciences. All study participants were informed about the purpose and confidentiality issues related to the study. Participation was voluntary and written informed consent was obtained from each participant. Finally, the data were collected and confidentiality of client information was maintained. Lastly, the author confirmed that this study was conducted in accordance with the declaration of Helsinki.

I acknowledge the contributions of all medical students of Wollo University who participated in the study.

The author declares that he has no conflict of interest in this work.

1. Mescher AL. Junqueiras Basic Histology: Text and Atlas. 13th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Medical; 2013.

2. Hamilton PW, van Diest PJ, Williams R, Gallagher AG. Do we see what we think we see? The complexities of morphological assessment. J Pathol. 2009;218(3):285291. doi:10.1002/path.2527

3. Johnson S, Purkiss J, Holaday L, Selvig D, Hortsch M. Learning histologydental and medical students study strategies. Eur J Dent Educ. 2015;19(2):6573. doi:10.1111/eje.12104

4. Moxham BJ, Emmanouil-Nikoloussi E, Brenner E, et al. The attitudes of medical students in Europe toward the clinical importance of histology. Clin Anat. 2017;30(5):635643. doi:10.1002/ca.22889

5. Hussein I, Raad M, Safa R, Jurjus RA, Jurjus A. Once upon a microscopic slide: the story of histology. J Cytol Histol. 2015;6(6):15. doi:10.4172/2157-7099.1000377

6. Gupta S, Gupta AK, Verma M, Kaur H, Kaura Singh K. The attitudes and perceptions of medical students towards basic science subjects during their clinical years: a cross-sectional survey. Int J Appl Basic Med Res. 2014;4(1):1619. doi:10.4103/2229-516X.125675

7. Cotter JR, Cohan CS. The timing, format and role of anatomical sciences in medical education. Med Sci Educ. 2010;20(3):276279.

8. Hightower JA, Boockfor FR, Blake CA, Millette CF. The standard medical microscopic anatomy course: histology circa 1998. Anat Rec. 1999;257(3):96101.

9. Beck A, Wood C, Helms R, Arvizo C, Cherry BM, Ziats NP. Peer assisted learning in introductory histopathology improves learner scores and delivers learner satisfaction. Med Sci Educ. 2016;26(1):8592. doi:10.1007/s40670-015-0207-6

10. Campos-Snchez A, Lpez-Nez JA, Scionti G, et al. Developing an audiovisual notebook as a self-learning tool in histology: perceptions of teachers and students. Anat Sci Educ. 2014;7(3):209218. doi:10.1002/ase.1386

11. Cogdell B, Torsney B, Stewart K, Smith RA. Technological and traditional drawing approaches encourage active engagement in histology classes for science undergraduates. Biosci Educ. 2012;19(1):115. doi:10.11120/beej.2012.19000003

12. Rafi A, Rauf A, Anwar MI. Significance of actually drawing microscopic images and its impact on students understanding of histology. J Dow Univ Health Sci Karachi. 2017;11(3):7781. doi:10.36570/jduhs.2017.3.540

13. Hortsch M. Using virtual microscopyadvancing anatomical education worldwide. FASEB J. 2017;31(1 Suppl.):89.1.

14. Malau-Aduli BS, Lee AY, Cooling N, Catchpole M, Jose M, Turner R. Retention of knowledge and perceived relevance of basic sciences in an integrated case-based learning (CBL) curriculum. B M C Med Educ. 2013;139:18.

15. Shaw PA, Friedman ES. Clinico-histologic conferences: histology and disease. Anat Sci Educ. 2012;5(1):5561. doi:10.1002/ase.1252

16. Abraham Y, Azaje A. The new innovative medical education system in Ethiopia: background and development. Ethiop J Health Dev. 2013;27(1):3640.

17. Waseem N, Rasheed A, Gill M, Asad A, Shamim MO, Waseem F. The attitudes of medical students towards clinical relevance of histology. PAFMJ. 2021;71(1):351356. doi:10.51253/pafmj.v71i1.3756

18. Pushpa and Suruchi Histology. Perception and attitude of first year MBBS students; 2017: 2.

19. Zaletel I, Mari G, Gazibara T, et al. Relevance and attitudes toward histology and embryology course through the eyes of freshmen and senior medical students: experience from Serbia. Ann Anat. 2016;1(208):217221. doi:10.1016/j.aanat.2016.07.002

20. Moxham BJ, Plaisant O. Perception of medical students towards the clinical relevance of anatomy. Clin Anat. 2007;20(5):560564. doi:10.1002/ca.20453

21. Olowo-Ofayoku A, Moxham BJ. Comparisons between the attitudes of medical and dental students toward the clinical importance of gross anatomy and physiology. Clin Anat. 2014;27(7):976987. doi:10.1002/ca.22417

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26. Xu C, Li Y, Chen P, Pan M, Bu X. A survey on the attitudes of Chinese medical students towards current pathology education. BMC Med Educ. 2020;20(1):17. doi:10.1186/s12909-020-02167-5

27. Amin NF, Akter M, Kabir MH, Shamim KM. Medical undergraduates residual knowledge of structural, functional and clinical aspects of cell and histology at recall and understanding levels. Bangladesh j Anat. 2013;11(1):3443. doi:10.3329/bja.v11i1.20507

28. Teshome D, Tiruneh C, Berhanu L, Berihun G. Medical students attitude and perception towards basic medical science subjects at Wollo University, Northeast Ethiopia. Adv Med Educ Pract. 2021;12:431. doi:10.2147/AMEP.S309440

29. Kumar A, Mitra K, Nagarajan S, Poudel B. Factors influencing medical students choice of future specialization in medical sciences: a cross- sectional questionnaire survey from medical schools in China, Malaysia and regions of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation. N Am J Med Sci. 2014;6(3):119125. doi:10.4103/1947-2714.128473

30. Shah AR, Shethwala ND, Parmar BH. Perception of undergraduate medical students towards the subject of pathology at one of the medical colleges of Gujarat, India. Int J Med Sci Public Health. 2014;3(7):863865. doi:10.5455/ijmsph.2014.140420142

31. Emerald NM, Han TZ, Oo SS. Students perception on effectiveness of pathology teaching in Phase 1 medical program at UCSI University. Int J Med Sci Educ. 2016;3(3):264273.

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34. Amin NF, Yesmin ZA, Akter M. Effective cell biology and histology teaching for medical undergraduates in Bangladesh: a review. Ann Int Med Dent Res. 2015;2(1):38.

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Cell Biology

Post-doctoral Fellow, School of Biological Sciences job with THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG | 290892 – Times Higher Education

Work type: Full-timeDepartment: School of Biological Sciences (26000)Categories: Academic-related Staff

Applications are invited for appointment as Post-doctoral Fellow in the School of Biological Sciences (Ref.: 512648), to commence as soon as possible for one year, with the possibility of renewal subject to satisfactory performance.

Applicants should possess a Ph.D. degree in Cell/Molecular Biology, with good research experience in cell culture and molecular biology technique, including CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing. Those with research experience in the purification of endogenous complex for biochemical/structural study or mouse xenograft model are highly preferred. The appointee will participate in a collaborative research project investigating the molecular mechanism of the ultrafine anaphase bridge (UFB)-resolving complex (see Chan and West, 2018 Cell Cycle. PMCID: PMC6226235; Chan et al., 2018 Nature Cell Biology. PMCID: PMC5742284). Further information can be found at the lab website https://sites.google.com/site/garychanlab/home. Enquiries about the post should be sent to Dr. Gary Ying Wai Chan atgywchan@hku.hk.

A highly competitive salary commensurate with qualifications and experience will be offered, in addition to annual leave and medical benefits. At current rates, salaries tax does not exceed 15% of gross income.

The University only accepts online application for the above posts. Applicants should apply online and upload an up-to-date C.V. Review of applications will commence as soon as possible and continue until August 31, 2022, or until the posts are filled, whichever is earlier.

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Post-doctoral Fellow, School of Biological Sciences job with THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG | 290892 - Times Higher Education

Cell Biology

Sung to lead cancer institute; Bankston wins fellowship – ASBMB Today

Sung takes over at San Antonio cancer institute

Patrick Sung, a professor, interim department chair and associate dean for research at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio's Long School of Medicine, has taken on another leadership role there. On March 1, he became the new director of the Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute. He succeeds interim director Manjeet Rao and former director Peter Houghton.

Patrick Sung

The institute, founded in 2004, is a group of 18 labs doing research focused on topics related to pediatric cancers, including cancer genomics, DNA repair, tumor biology and drug development. Research in Sungs lab, which is part of the institute, focuses on DNA damage repair. He studies homologous recombination as a mechanism for repairing double-stranded DNA breaks, focusing on the mechanism of the recombinase Rad51. His lab is known for recapitulating double-stranded DNA repair in vitro. Failure of such repair can lead to chromosomal rearrangements that drive the development of cancer; at the same time, cancer cells are unusually adept at repairing DNA damage. Several years ago, Sungs lab found that Rad51 interacts with the well-known BRCA tumor suppressor proteins, suggesting new insights into how BRCA proteins suppress tumor formation.

Sung earned his Doctor of Philosophy degree in biochemistry at the University of Oxford in 1985. He came to the U.S. for a postdoc at the University of Rochester. After starting his faculty career at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, he worked as an associate professor at UT Health San Antonio before taking a position at Yale in 2003, in the department of molecular biophysics and biochemistry, which he later chaired. He was recruited back to the University of Texas in 2019 as a professor.

Sung has been an associate editor of the Journal of Biological Chemistry since 2014. He also is on the editorial board of the journal Genes and Development and formerly served on the editorial board of the journal Molecular & Cellular Biology.

Adriana Bankston, a legislative analyst for the University of California, has received a 2022 fellowship from Advancing Research Impact in Society, or ARIS, a program supported by the National Science Foundation.

Adriana Bankston

This award, shared with the University of California, Irvine's Harinder Singh, will support a program for training in science policy. The project, titled "Developing the next generation workforce through science policy as a bridge between science and society," will use insights from a course that Bankston and Singh taught at Irvine to develop an educational toolkit for universities and to build a community of practice in science policy and advocacy.

Bankston received her Ph.D. in biochemistry and cell and developmental biology at Emory University and was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Louisville before becoming a policy and advocacy fellow at the Society for Neuroscience. Today, in addition to her position at UC, she works on numerous initiatives as chief executive officer and managing publisher of the Journal of Science Policy and Governance, and as a research investigator with the STEM Advocacy Institute. In February, she was part of a panel discussion hosted by the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine's strategic council for research excellence, integrity and trust. She is also an ASBMB Today contributor.

The Center for Advancing Research Impact in Society is a project to improve public engagement with science and diversify the research workforce. Its fellows, selected annually, work on projects that synthesize research to help scientists achieve these goals.

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Sung to lead cancer institute; Bankston wins fellowship - ASBMB Today

Cell Biology

Postdoctoral Fellow in Neuroscience / Molecular and Cellular Biology / Life Sciences job with NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE | 290389 – Times Higher…

Job Description

Yale-NUS College is a highly selective liberal arts and science college in Singapore. Co-founded by Yale University and the National University of Singapore, the College is committed to excellence in research and teaching in a full residential programme that integrates living and learning. Its curriculum educates students in Asian and Western intellectual traditions as well as current scientific thought.

Yale-NUS College is seeking to hire a highly motivated Research Fellow in Mechanisms Underlying Behavior laboratory (https://mathurulab.com) directed by Assistant Professor Ajay S Mathuru for a project funded by an MOE Tier 2 grant (Nov 2021 to Oct 2024) on a three-year contract. The lab conducts research jointly at E6 Yale-NUS Research Labs and the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology institute in Biopolis (Proteos building). The main focus of the lab is to understand how brains operate to generate behavior, using methods of genetic manipulation, behavioral assays and neurophysiological observations. These findings are applied to understand the neurogenetics of human disorders of the brain. Current studies examine genes implicated in addiction, anxiety disorders, depression, epilepsy, and neurodegeneration in humans. See examples of our publications hereand see a recent news report here.

Are you excited about neuroscience research? So, are we. Apart from the standard requirements such as sharing the responsibility for scientific sourcing and procurement; safety and housekeeping of the laboratory; any other duties to ensure efficient lab work, the successful candidate is expected to:

Qualifications

We invite applications from exceptional candidates with a deep interest in neuroscience. The prospective candidate must:

More Information

For full consideration, please submit the following materials toAssistant Professor Ajay Sriram Mathuruvia email atajay.mathuru@yale-nus.edu.sg.

I understand that by sharing my personal data with Yale-NUS College, Iauthoriseits use for the purposes of thisapplication.

Only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

Location: Kent Ridge CampusOrganization:Division of Science

Covid-19 Message

At NUS, the health and safety of our staff and students are one of our utmost priorities, and COVID-vaccination supports our commitment to ensure the safety of our community and to make NUS as safe and welcoming as possible. Many of our roles require a significant amount of physical interactions with students/staff/public members. Even for job roles that may be performed remotely, there will be instances where on-campus presences are required.

In accordance with Singapore's legal requirements, unvaccinated workers will not be able to work on the NUS premises with effect from 15 January 2022. As such, job applicants will need to be fully COVID-19 vaccinated to secure successful employment with NUS.

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Postdoctoral Fellow in Neuroscience / Molecular and Cellular Biology / Life Sciences job with NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE | 290389 - Times Higher...

Cell Biology

A team of UK researchers transform ageing research – NutraIngredients-usa.com

The Catalyst Reducing ImmuNe Ageing (CARINA) Network comprises more than 70 clinicians and researchers with compatible expertise in fields such as immunology, nutrition, and medicine.

CARINA is one of 11 networks fundedby the Medical Research Council (MRC) and Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)that aspire to transform ageing research in the UK.

The team of experts will identify priority areas for immunity and age research to advance the integrated understanding of the factors influencing the trajectory to an aged, compromised immune system and inspire new approaches to support ageing populations.

"The CARINA Network will facilitate large-scale collaboration between researchers from multiple disciplines who, for the first time, will work together to identify and better understand patterns and commonalities in the immunology of ageing, explains Professor Arne Akbar, Chair of CARINA Management Board.

As the ageing population grows, better understanding of immune mechanisms as we get older could help identify new methods to enhance quality of life and even improve life expectancy, say scientists.

Network member and chair of intestinal microbiome at the Technical University Munich, Professor Lindsay Hall, comments: It will be important to work with colleagues from a range of sectors to understand how further work in this area could be used to provide useful biomarkers of immune health.

Our immune system changes as we get older and responses to disease are unpredictable. Studies suggest that immunity declines with age, making it harder to fight off infections.

The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the vulnerability of older people when confronted with a new pathogen, which can translate into severe outcomes for some, and highlights the utility of age-related research.

Professor Hall adds:We hope this new network will drive new interactions and new ways of thinking particularly around development of microbial and diet-based therapies that could also be used to boost beneficial immune responses, like after vaccination.

CARINA is supported by partners in industry and charities, as well as by public and patient groups.

TheBritish Society for Immunology (BSI) provides project management services for planning and delivery of important milestones, in addition to events support, communications expertise, and mediation of patient and public involvement (PPI).

Meanwhile, a Management Group, led by Chair Professor Akbar, formulates research strategies to ensure the Network facilitates a novel approach to ageing research. Professor Akbar is also Professor of Immunology at University College London, and President of the BSI.

Other members of the Management Group include: Professor Deborah Dunn-Walters (Professor of Immunology, University of Surrey); Professor Janet Lord (Professor of Immune Cell Biology, University of Birmingham); Dr Ed Chambers (Lecturer in Nutrition and Dietetics, Imperial College London), and Professor Neil Mabbott (Professor of Immunopathology, University of Edinburgh).

An independent Scientific Advisory Board of representatives from academia, clinicians, and public and patient groups has also been established to guide Network activity and make sure the research is sufficiently inclusive and interdisciplinary.

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A team of UK researchers transform ageing research - NutraIngredients-usa.com

Cell Biology

Retired Astronaut Wants to Grow Cannabinoids in Space – High Times

In the annals of phony viral images, the one of former Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield holding a bag of weed while aboard the International Space Station is right up there.

The photo made the rounds in 2018, prompting a fact-check from the online watchdog Snopes.

In the original photo that was posted to Hadfields Twitter account in 2013, he is seen holding a bag of Easter Eggs.

The internet being the internet, that same image was manipulated years later and reposted by a Facebook page (ironically named Pictures in History), this time with the eggs replaced with ganja.

Not only is the image of Chris Hadfield holding a bag of marijuana fake, but its unlikely that any similar (but genuine) photographs of astronauts with drug paraphernalia exist, as NASA has been a drug-free workplace since at least the mid-1980s, Snopes said.

But the spurious image may have been somewhat prescient. Late last year, Hadfield joined the board of BioHarvest Sciences, a biotech firm involved in medicinal cannabis.

In an interview with Futurism that was published this week, Hadfield and BioHarvest CEO Ilan Sobel detailed how space might even be the perfect environment to produce out-of-this-world, medical-grade cannabinoids.

We see the potential ability for valuable minor cannabinoids to be grown at significantly higher quantities compared to its growth on Earth, Sobel told Futurism.

These unique compositions of full-spectrum cannabis could have significant value in providing more optimized treatment solutions for many palliative diseases where current pharma synthesized compounds are not delivering adequate solutions, he added.

But Hadfield told Futurism that cannabinoids are only one part of BioHarvests cultivation program, and what really drew him to the company was the scalability of the biotech platform, and how it can solve a lot of the agricultural problems we face in feeding 10 billion people.

As such, BioHarvest is focusing its efforts on providing future astronautsand humans back on the groundwith microgravity-enhanced nutrients, rather than a way to get high, Futurism reported.

Hadfield joined BioHarvests Board of Advisers in December, saying at the time that the companys proprietary platform technology has the potential to make a significant impact on the world as well as in bio-space science.

The company has built a world-class team of scientists, and I look forward to working with them, with my fellow advisors, to scale BioHarvests solution, Hadfield said in the announcement.

Sobel said at the time that Hadfields unparalleled experience will help marry our plant cellular biology expertise with space science.

He is a great addition to our advisory board at this phase of our growth, and hell help us in our drive to be a global biotech leader, Sobel said.

As for that infamous viral image, Hadfield told Futurism that toking in space might not be such a great idea.

On the space station, if theres an emergency, you are the fire department, he said. You cant have intoxicated yourself or inebriated yourself or whatever, just because if something goes wrong, then youll die.

He did leave open the possibility, however.

Once the population gets large enough, once you get to a stable enough situation, people are gonna want, you know, a drink, Hadfield told Futurism. People are gonna want some pot.

When it comes to cannabinoids and space, Hadfield and BioHarvest arent exactly going where no man has gone before.

In 2020, the ag biotech company Front Range Biosciences announced that it will be sending cell cultures of the hemp plant to the International Space Station on a resupply trip, Rolling Stone reported at the time, adding that the purpose of the project is to see whether or not these cells develop any genetic mutations in those conditions, and once they return, scientists will analyze their DNA to see if they have changed at all.

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Retired Astronaut Wants to Grow Cannabinoids in Space - High Times