tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6094038346173044955.post3555189043766021457..comments2024-03-27T19:39:11.723-04:00Comments on Parasite of the Day: Special Report: #ASP2012 (Australia) Part I: Better the Devil you (get to) knowSusan Perkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05944116263349266952noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6094038346173044955.post-45536896189214330852012-07-17T23:08:50.481-04:002012-07-17T23:08:50.481-04:00It is really interesting stuff this DFTD - mind yo...It is really interesting stuff this DFTD - mind you, as you can imagine there is quite bit of contention about whether this cancerous cell line is actually a "parasite" as such. To me, seeing how it: can be passed between different devils, manipulates the devil's immune system to ensure its survival, proliferates in the devil, and can be transmitted to another devil - it does everything a parasite (or parasitic organism) does.<br /><br />However, Haylee Weaver (whom I met at the conference) has a different take on it (http://increasingdisorder.wordpress.com/2012/07/12/devil-facial-tumour-disease-or-sometimes-not-everything-comes-back-to-parasites/) she calls it a "transmissible, highly virulent cancer" - which is true - but she doesn't think it is a "parasite". Whereas I think "if it functions like a parasite...then..."<br /><br />It's kind of like whether to call a chicken a bird or a dinosaur...<br /><br />It funny how we can agree on the gist of something - but disagree on what label we give it - I guess that's a part of being a scientist/academic! That is all just semantics, the cancer cell line just do what it does regardless of what labels we give it. Biology is weird.Tommy Leunghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06421993204602775597noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6094038346173044955.post-63734892459846212132012-07-17T19:39:04.214-04:002012-07-17T19:39:04.214-04:00I got to see a special on my cable about the woman...I got to see a special on my cable about the woman scientist that is working on the genetics about this parasite. Really exciting stuff for a really "adorable" marsupial; I hope we can win this one back!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com