University Daily Kansan, June 23, 1980
Supreme Court ruling opens doors to microbe research
By PAUL CARMAN
Staff Renorter
A partial solution to the energy shortage, a possible cancer reduction and genetic engineering compete in genetic engineering were all encouraged by last week's Supreme Court decision on the General Electric氨氮 according to KU professors.
The Supreme Court voted 5-4 that General Electric could patent a microorganism it developed to eat oil slicks.
The decision could also be applied to microorganisms which are being used to produce insulin and interferon, a possible cancer reducing agent.
Henry Stone, professor of microbiology, said, "The technology would have continued to develop even if the Supreme Court had ruled against it. Now some of the smaller companies are more likely to invest in research.
"I think the Supreme Court decision will increase the rate at which the benefits of the research will reach mankind."
Presently, insulin for diabetics must be taken from a pig's pancreas and refined until it is relatively pure.
RESEARCH IS NOW underway to find microorganisms that secrete insulin. Stone said.
"This would ensure a uniform preparation of insulin, and a cheaper one," he said. "In other words, we have a have a cheaper and a better product."
The significance of the microorganism to create insulin may eventually be dwarfed when compared with the potential for cheap production of another chemical produced within the body, interferon.
Interferon is the chemical white blood cells produce when they are attacked by a viral infection.
STONE SAID that all the interferon now comes from Sweden, where it is produced using white blood cells.
He said that in the experiments using interferon, it was found to be effective not only against hepatitis and other viral diseases, but also against cancer.
"In one test, 60 percent of all cancer and tumor patients had substantial remissions when injected with interferon." Stone said.
The American Cancer Society reported success in using interferon for the treatment of cancer.
In a study conducted by the society, 21 of 38 cancer patients had remissions after being given interferon.
COST IS NOW the barrier for mass distribution of interferon Stone said. But that may be solved by more genetic engineering research.
"It is just too costly to make interferon any other way," he said.
According to the E.F. Hutton Biochemistry Report, a full interferon treatment now costs $30,000-$50,000 per patient.
"It is estimated that a DNA culture method for interferon could bring the cost down to perhaps $2 per dose from $2.00 per dose," the report said.
The possible profits from being able to produce interferon are also great.
Stone said, "It has been estimated that if you had interferon in hand it would bring you at least $6 million a year."
There is also a possibility that genetic engineering could be applied to the fuel crisis.
THE HUTTON REPORT said, "DNA techniques may soon create more efficient enzymes that would make corn a material than natural gas or oil.
"The Department of Energy has indicated that with certain government incentives, ethanol fuel production could be increased from about 60 million gallons a year currently to 500 million gallons to 400 million gallons by 1985."
The benefits of genetic engineering are many, but there are also dangers. Richard Cole, professor of Philosophy who calls himself a philosopher of science said, "The potential evil and the special benefits are both mind bongling."
Stone said that an old fear, that of accidental release of dangerous microorganisms, is now unlikely.
"The bacteria which are now used can't survive outside the laboratory," he said.
Cole agreed, but said the greatest danger was not an accident.
"The greatest potential evil is the intentional production of virulent microorganisms for biological warfare," he said.
A LOCAL PASTOR, Jimmy Cobb of the First Southern Baptist Church, agreed with Cole on the potential for danger.
"The tung that disturbs me is the manipulation factor, but I'm not going
Belt found guilty
A 28-year-old former Lawrence police officer was found guilty of arson Friday in the Dec. 2, 1979 blaze that caused three firefighters to be injured in private party room at 204, W. Eighth St., Wichita.
The former policeman, Scott Belt, said he would seek an appeal of the verdict. He remains at liberty on his own recognition until the new trial.
Arson, a Class C felony, carries a 5-to 20-year penalty.
Get the bugs out.
If your bicycle is in less than peak riding condition, come to us. Our professionals are specially trained to handle all aspects of bicycle servicing – from a simple tune-up to major repairs.
No matter what condition your bicycle is in,
we'll help you get the bugs out.
Franchised Dealer For:
RALEIGH PUCH AUSTRO DAIMLER
We Service All Bikes
841-6642
1033 Vormer
1033 vermont
Lawrence KS 68021
10 say it's all wrong." Cobb said. "This situation puzzles me, frightens me and challenges me."
Although the Supreme Court decision was by only one vote, there was little disagreement in the KU community with the result.
Stone said, "The Supreme Court could have come to no other conclusion. You can patient roses and seed corn. To say that you can't patent bacteria would be to make a legal distinction between life forms."
"It's not so much the creation of life but a modification. The precedent had already been set with hybrid corn and wheat, and the techniques to produce new species."
Cole said, "This was a mere extension of what has always been done in breeding.
COBB SAID, "I don't really see an ethical dilemma at this point, this is a legal question."
The information came to police after a witness talked to a friend who works as a clerk in the police department. The witness had been arrested and docked by Dockery's Liquor, 1014 Massachusetts St. when it was robbed.
Lawrence police knew for weeks that two liquor store robberies occurred in the city on June 5, but only last day did they learn of a third.
Only minutes before the robbery at Dockey's, the Clark Gas Station, 511 W. Ninth St. was robbed of $150 and Burn's Lugar, 1918 W. 24th St. of $70. All three robberies took place between 10 and 11 p.m.
According to police, the robbery at Dockery's was never reported.
Liquor robbery unreported
Wayne Schmille, a detective investigating the robberies, said last week that he had only heard about the robbery in the last couple of days.
"I'm on another case right now,"
By KIRK TINDALL
SCHILLE SAID he did not know why Dockery failed to report the robbery. He said, though, that he was wrong. Dockery had heart trouble.
Witnesses, who did not want to be named, said Dockery was given a description of the getaway car and other witnesses could identify the
Staff Reporter
One witness gave Dockery a partial license plate number.
he said, and I haven't really be able to check into the Dockery thing."
"He was really upset," the witness said. "I gave him the license number. He picked up the phone, started to dial and I left."
Schmille said "If we had gotten the report when it happened, we could have gotten those turkeys."
ACCOUNTS FROM ALL three robberies described the same man, but only witnesses at Dockery's saw a car, a driver or a license plate.
a clerk at Burn's said the store had been robbed before, but the
"All I saw was a black man with a short barrelled 38." he said.
suspects had been arrested. With the information available to police at Dockery's, the robber might have been apprehended, the clerk said.
Mark Brothers, who heads the police department's Crime Prevention Unit, said if a robber was successful, "it's only a matter of common sense that he will try it again."
"A person who uses a gun to commit a crime has to be psychologically prepared to use it. He'd better be," he said.
Cobb found guilty of murder, plans appeal
3v MARK PITTMAN
Nohe contended that Judge E. Newton Vickers' instructions to the
Kansas has no saturates that require citizens to report crimes even if they are felonies, a spokesman for the state attorney's office said. Thursday,
Staff Reporter
The public defender for Cobb, Camille Noh, he called the verdict "the worst case of manifest injustice I've ever seen." Noh said Saturday the Cobb case would be appealed to the Kansas Supreme Court.
TOPEKA - Kathleen Cobb, 23,
Topeka, was found guilty Friday in
Shawnee District Court of first-degree
murder in the Feb. 27 death of 22-year-old
Henry Davis. The jury deliberated
two hours.
Cobb is the daughter of Robert Cobb,
dean of the College of Liberal Arts and
Sciences, who will take over as
executive vice chancellor July 1.
POLICE OFFICIALS SAID there were many reasons why people did not report crimes. Fear of retaliation is one, not wanting to get involved can also make a witness or victim reluctant to report a crime.
Bronco Billy
Starring Conn Eastwood, Sandra Locke
Fri, 7, 10 and 8.0
Varsity
Downtown 843-1065
2. Rough Cut Staring Burt Reynolds Eve, 7:30 and 9:30
1. Urban Cowboy
Starring John Travolta
Eve, 7.15 and 9.40
Hillcrest
9th & Iowa 842-8400
3. Wholly Moses
Starring Dudley Moore
Eve, 7, 40 and 9:35
1. Mary Poppins
Eve: 7:00 and 9:30
Cinema Twin
31st & Iowa 842-6400
Shows start at dusk
The Jerk Starring Steve Martin Plot Animal House
Sunset
west 41th st 843-8172
Now open 7 days a week
"It couldn't be voluntary man-slaughter," Fokamy said, because the lawyer discussed for two weeks. "It couldn't be second-degree because it was premeditated. The jury followed the law, determined the facts and
Sally Pokery; assistant Shawnee County district attorney, said Saturday that the jury had no other choice than a verdict of first-degree murder.
The penalty for first-degree murder with a firearm in Kansas is a mandatory life sentence with no possibility of parole.
The defense said that on Feb. 27 Cobb and her roommate, Ramona Moon, 27, drove to Lawrence to try to talk Davis
jury should have included the option of finding Cobb guilty of assisting a suicide.
slaughter, second-degree murder or first-degree murder.
The defense said that Davis asked Cobb to inject him with the drug and not to leave him until he was dead. If the overdose attempt was unsuccessful, she was to shoot him with a 22 caliber pistol Davis had with him.
Davis went into convulsions. The defense maintained that Cobb could not tell whether Davis was dead. Cobb then shot the pistol and shot Davis in the head.
THE JURY WAS given three options by Vickers: to decide if Cobb was guilty or not guilty of voluntary man-
Cobb and Davis then went to a rural area southwest of Topka, according to the defense, where Cobb pushed the plungers of two syringes, each loaded with a gram of cocaine, into Davis' veins.
NOHE'S ARGUMENT throughout the three-day trial was that Davis requested help in taking his own life by an overdose of cocaine.
out of attempting suicide. The two women and Davis drove back to Topeka where they left Moon at her apartment.
Manuals. Modules. Miniatures
Ral Partha, Citadel, Minifigs paints, brushes, dice
ADVENTURE a bookstore
1010 Massachusetts Mon-Sat 9-9
Phone 843-6424 Sun 1-7
DUNGEONS
AND
DRAGONS
Welcome Students
10% OFF
PIER 1 IMPORTS' GIFT TO YOU
Total Purchase with Coupon
Sale Items Excluded
void 6:30:80
Discover A World of Imported Cargo
8th & MASS.
--others from 2.75
Nobody does it better!!
We have a great selection of KU shirts in many styles at the best prices in town!
Model shown 7.99
reg. 12.00 value
Want a personalized shirt? We'll print it while you wait.
2 Blocks north of the Union Building
---
---