by Shambhavi Ramaswamy
Grade 10 - Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (Arlington, VA, United States)
Third Place
My proposal is to rehabilitate the black-footed ferret, scientifically known as Mustela nigripes, which has been threatened since 1967. Black-footed ferrets were in fact considered extinct, but - about three decades ago - biologists were able to launch a successful captive-breeding program with a few wild ferrets found in Wyoming. Those ferrets and their descendants have now been released into wildlife habitats across the country. We must take care to protect this endangered species and not repeat past mistakes!
My company, Sham Biotech, which specializes in biotechnological solutions, and has successfully completed similar projects in the United States and Canada, is able to call on the expertise of microbiologists and biotechnologists. I also have strong relationships with academic and scientific research institutions and will be able to focus on providing solutions that are good for the environment, beneficial for human beings, and - most importantly - will prevent more deaths of this endangered species.
The population of the black-footed ferret - which once numbered in the thousands - has been diminishing since pioneers started to move west, turning prairies (which are ferret habitats) into farmland, as well as hunting the ferret’s major food source, the prairie dog. Prairie dogs were hunted because they were carriers of sylvatic plague, a disease that contains the same bacteria that spreads bubonic plague in humans. Even now, prairie dogs are impacted by this disease, negatively affecting their population as well as the ferrets.
For those who continue to question why ferrets (and, by extension, prairie dogs), need to be saved, it is because they are both predators and prey and key indicators of a healthy ecosystem. Ferrets, which help manage prairie dog populations, are themselves a food source for larger predators (owls, coyotes, badgers). Allowing a species to become extinct might cause a chain reaction that alters the entire ecosystem. By saving the ferret, we are preserving the particular habitat they live in and the multiple species that live alongside them; they are therefore intrinsic to balancing the ecosystem, keeping other wildlife in check and preserving human habitats.
In 1985, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department helped more than 6,000 black-footed ferrets to be born in captivity and then gradually introduced them to habitats in the United States and Mexico. In addition, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) worked with the U.S. Geological Survey National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC) and the University of Wisconsin on different methods of ridding the animals of sylvatic plague. One method is to spray insecticides on ferret and prairie dog populations, helping to get rid of fleas, which are vectors (carriers) of the plague. Although this is effective in getting rid of fleas, it is not suitable for the environment, requires intensive labor, and is only used after a plague outbreak has occurred. Another method uses drones and ATVs carrying peanut butter vaccine baits: the peanut butter attracts the prairie dogs, increasing the number of vaccinations. While this method has yielded fewer occurrences of sylvatic plague, researchers are still trying to figure out if it is viable across a larger area.
I will employ a similar but revised method for my vaccine using different DNA technology techniques. The current vaccine employs the FI-V protein, which uses the poxa virus from raccoons and is a virus-vectored recombinant plague vaccine. In this case, the virus is a “vector” because it is carrying the poxa virus DNA to be injected into the DNA of the bacteria. It will not cause harm to the animal. My vaccine will also be distributed through peanut butter covered bait; it will use restriction enzymes associated with plague-causing bacteria carried by retrovirus vectors. Although retroviruses only contain a single-stranded RNA genome, they are the most viable option for a recombinant vector. These enzymes will cleave to the bacterial DNA, thereby rendering it useless for transcription.
Consequently, this vaccine will be more effective, since it tackles the problem right off the bat! There are no known restrictions to my plan. We will also need to isolate retroviruses and green fluorescent protein (GFP), which will help identify cells that have been injected with the retrovirus while making the vaccine.
My solution is innovative since it employs one of the most important types of virus vectors while still accommodating a popular and trusted method. In my view, it will appeal to the NWHC, the WWF, and the University of Wisconsin which are all proactively working together to improve and enhance vaccine delivery.
Since this tweaked vaccine may allosterically and actively inhibit different enzymes in the bodies of prairie dogs and ferrets, its effects may have to be studied further to ensure complete safety. When an enzyme is allosterically altered, a signaling molecule/protein binds to the enzyme, changing the shape of it; this helps the enzyme conform to fit the shapes of other molecules in a molecular pathway. For this, we will need access to sample prairie dog and ferret cells in order to study the effects of different restriction enzymes on them. We will inject the cells with the retrovirus that contains the bacterial DNA’s restriction enzyme. Next, we will add the the Yersinia pestis bacteria to the cells. The cells containing the retrovirus vector will be identified by a fluorescent glow caused by the GFP. We will compare the transcription rates of the cells to identify if the restriction enzymes were able to effectively restrict the transcription of bacterial DNA by counting the number of cells still left alive. Cells that are of normal size and in normal condition will hypothetically have a lower transcription rate of the bacterial DNA.
Using retrovirus vectors for my method is practical since it can accommodate larger DNA inserts. The head of the virus contains space for almost 20,000 base pairs of DNA. If these viral genes are eliminated, the virus can still attach to the host cell (acting as a vector for the vaccine) and can inject the DNA contained inside (restriction enzymes). The deleted base pairs can also open up room for the DNA of another organism.
In the unlikely case that all the cells die, we may have to employ a different type of retrovirus. There are many that can be used, and a method of trial and error (and elimination) will help me and my team find out which type of virus will best suit our purpose.
The use of retroviruses can also be extended to future trials for a more developed vaccine. For example, they can also be used in homologous recombination. This method helps to silence desired genes, but needs a vector (such as a retrovirus) to function.
My company has access to recognized experts in microbiology and biotechnology. I expect to also need the help of experienced chemists and pharmacists to develop a version of the current vaccine using new restriction enzymes. I should be able to tap into this expertise easily since I have used them in the past. Note that I will not need much additional staffing for this project since my firm specializes in delivering biotech solutions. I also expect to mobilize technical assistance from the NWHC, WWF and the University of Wyoming, and will apply for additional state and federal government grants to cover research and outreach expenses.
My estimate for this project is $5 million. I firmly believe that this investment is worthwhile because it is both innovative and viable. Virus vector biotechnology is a fast-moving field and my project will help build strong partnerships with key state and federal research institutions as well as private corporations working in this area. We will also share our knowledge and methodology with schools, colleges, and other educational institutions, thus enabling my peers to stay up to date with advances in science. Since I am elaborating on a previously used and tested method, I am employing an established scientific process. I am also providing you with firm assurances that your resources will not go to waste! I hope to receive funding at the earliest possible and looking forward to hearing from you soon.
References
No Author. Animal viruses as cloning vectors. Retrieved January 31, 2017, from http://www.asiyakm.yolasite.com/animal-viruses-as-cloning-vectors.php
Hillis, D. M., Sadava, D., Hill, R. W., & Price, M. V. (2014). Principles of Life.
Kasnoff, C. (2014). Black Footed Ferret: An Endangered Species. Retrieved from http://www.bagheera.com/inthewild/van_anim_ferret.htm
Kurian, K. M., Watson, C. J., & Wyllie, A. H. (August 2000). Retroviral vectors. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1186965/
Mencher, J. S., Smith, S. R., Powell, T. D., Stinchcomb, D. T., Osorio, J. E., & Rocke, T. E. (September 2004). Protection of Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) against Plague after Voluntary Consumption of Baits Containing Recombinant Raccoon Poxvirus Vaccine. American Society for Microbiology. Retrieved from http://iai.asm.org/content/72/9/5502.full
USGS National Wildlife Health Center. (2016, May 19). Sylvatic Plague Immunization in Black-footed Ferrets and Prairie Dogs. Retrieved from https://www.nwhc.usgs.gov/disease_information/sylvatic_plague/
World Wildlife Fund. (2016, October 18). Innovations (and peanut butter) give black-footed ferrets a boost. Retrieved from http://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/innovations-and-peanut-butter-give-black-footed-ferrets-a-boost