>> ON THIS EDITION OF
"SCITECH NOW," THE TRADITIONAL
WAY TO HEAL A BROKEN BONE WAS A
CAST ON THE OUTSIDE.
MEET THESE CENTRAL NEW YORK
SCIENTISTS WORKING ON A SOLUTION
ON THE INSIDE.
WHAT MAKES THESE HORSES
DIFFERENT?
IT'S ABOUT MORE THAN
THEIR SHAPE.
SOMEBODY HAS TO STUDY IT.
WE GO DEEP UNDERGROUND TO LEARN
ABOUT THE EVOLUTION OF THE RAT.
AND WE'LL GIVE YOU A LOOK AT THE
MOST REALISTIC SPACE MOVIES
YOU'LL EVER SEE NEXT ON
"SCITECH NOW."
♪7
♪7
>> HELLO, I'M SIMON PEREZ.
WELCOME TO "SCITECH NOW" OUR
WEEKLY PROGRAM BRINGING YOU THE
LATEST BREAKTHROUGHS IN SCIENCE,
TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION.
BREAK A BONE BAD ENOUGH AND YOU
MIGHT NEED METAL PLATES AND
SCREWS TO HEAL.
SOME CENTRAL NEW YORK SCIENTISTS
ARE FIXING THEIR OWN BONES
STARTING WITH A 3D PRINTER.
>> WE ARE USING TECHNOLOGY TO
ESSENTIALLY CREATE A PATIENT
SPECIFIC BONE REPLACEMENT.
>> WE ARE MAKING PATIENT
SPECIFIC BONE WHICH CAN SLOWLY
INTEGRATE AND BECOME PATIENT'S
OWN.
>> SOMETHING EXTERNAL PUT INTO
THE BODY BUT EVENTUALLY, UNLIKE
A PIECE OF METAL, IT BECOMES THE
PERSON.
>> YES, EXACTLY.
>> AND THIS MATERIAL THAT WE ARE
USING TO BUILD THIS IS MADE OUT
OF MATERIAL THAT IS USED
COMMONLY IF YOU EVER HAD
ABSORBABLE STITCHES.
THE SAME MATERIAL IS USED THERE
APPROVED BY THE FDA IN THAT
APPLICATION, USING THE SAME
MATERIAL WHICH, AGAIN, DEGRADES
OVER TIME AND AT THE RATE OF
DEGRADATION TO THE RATE OF
REPLACEMENT OF THE BONE THAT WE
ARE TRYING TO GROW.
SO AS WE ARE BUILDING NEW BONE,
WE ARE WEARING AWAY THE SUPPORT
STRUCTURE THAT USED TO BE THERE.
>> AND WE CAN USE 3D PRINTING TO
REPAIR THE BONE OF AN ATHLETE
AND BONE OF A SMALL KID, BASED
ON THE SCANNER IMAGES FROM THAT
PATIENT WHICH IS, WHICH CAN BE
DONE WITH TECHNOLOGY.
>> THAT'S AN IMPORTANT PART ON
THE REHABILITATION PART BECAUSE
THE STRUCTURE YOU PUT IN THERE
PLAYS AN IMPORTANT PART SO FROM
THE ASPECT OF REHABILITATION,
NOT HAVING TO RETRAIN YOUR
NERVES, THE MUSCLES OPERATE THAT
PART OF THE ANATOMY WILL GET YOU
BACK UP AND MOVING EVEN FASTER.
>> A NEW HEART OR A NEW KIDNEY
IS ONE THING BUT TO HAVE TO HAVE
THE STRUCTURAL STRENGTH IN
ADDITION TO KEEPING IT LIVING IS
SOMETHING...
>> A BONE IS AS THEY SAY, A BONE
IS HARD HEART.
METAPHORICALLY, WE ARE ABLE TO
PUT THEM TOGETHER IN A WAY THAT
SUPPORTS A MECHANICAL LOAD THAT
IS ABLE TO SUPPORT BUT ALSO MAKE
IT A BIOLOGICALLY LIVING
TISSUES.
THE TWO PIECES HAVE BEEN OUT IN
THE HARD TO PUT THE TWO ASPECTS
TOGETHER SO WE ARE REALLY LUCKY
IN THIS COLLABORATION TO HAVE
BOTH THE PEOPLE AND THE SKILLS
TO DO SO.
>> USE IT IN COMBINATION WITH
THE NON-INORGANIC STUFF.
IT IS ORGANIC AND INORGANIC.
I INTEGRATE IT.
>> MY PART IS TO BRING THE CELLS
INTO IT SO WE ARE ABLE TO
ISOLATE THESE SKELETAL STEM
CELLS FROM A PATIENT'S OWN BONE
MARROW.
WEEK CAUSE THEM TO PRODUCE NEW
BONE AND THAT NEW BONE THEN
BECOMES INTEGRATED AND MAKES FOR
THE REPLACEMENT TISSUE THAT WE
ARE TRYING TO REPLACE THE
INJURED TISSUE.
THIS AREA RIGHT HERE IS THE
FACILITY WHERE WE ACTUALLY TAKE
THE 3D PRINTED CONSTRUCTS FROM
THE LAB AND PUT THE CELLS FROM
DR. MORE DR. HORTON'S LAB.
>> WE HAVE THE PIPE AND OUR
FRAME.
SO BASICALLY WHAT HAPPENS IS WE
PUT THE PIPE IN OUR FRAME AND WE
CAST OUR CELLS AROUND THEM AND
EVENTUALLY THE PIPE WILL
DISSOLVE OUT GIVING US THE
CONSTRUCT.
>> 3D PRINTED HARD CONSTRUCT,
AND IN THE CENTER OF OUR 3D
PRINTED HARD CONSTRUCT, WE HAVE
OUR GEL CONTAINING OUR CELLS.
THAT ONE PIPE IN THE CENTER,
THAT IS ACTUALLY BONE THAT HAS
BEEN FORMED IN THE CENTER OF OUR
CONSTRUCT.
THE PROFUSION OF NUTRIENTS.
>> WORRIED ABOUT SOME KIND OF
FRANKENSTEIN ELEMENT?
ARE YOU MAKING STUFF THAT IS
GOING TO MAKE ME DIFFERENT?
>> DR. FRANKENSTEIN, WHEN HE
TRIED TO PUT SOMEONE TOGETHER,
HE COLLECTED PARTS OF THE
VARIOUS PEOPLE AND STITCHED THEM
TOGETHER.
WHAT WE ARE DOING IS NOT THAT.
WE ARE TRYING TO TAKE YOUR OWN
CELLS AND YOUR OWN GEOMETRY AND
CREATE A NEWER YOU FOR YOU.
>> THIS IS THE MOST FUN I'VE
EVER HAD IN FOUR OR FIVE YEARS.
IT SORT OF HOUSES EXPERTISE IN
ONE PLACE.
IT'S AN OPEN LAB MY GROUP AND IT
SHARES THE SAME SORT OF MEDIUM
AND SPACE.
IT HAS THE INGREDIENTS I WILL
NEED TO PUT IN A PROJECT LIKE
THIS.
>> IS IT FAIR WE CAN SAY
ABSOLUTELY NOBODY ELSE IS DOING
IT BESIDE YOU GUYS?
>> WE ARE THE ONLY ONES DOING
THIS COMBINED ADDED AND
SUBTRACTIVE APPROACHES AND USING
THE SKELETAL STEM CELLS TO
REALLY CREATE A UNIT THAT CAN BE
CONTAIN BLOOD FLOW AND SUPPORT
MECHANICAL LOAD THAT ACTIVITY OF
DAILY LIVING REQUIRES.
>> AFTER YEARS I IMAGINE IF A
PATIENT WALKS IN AND HE HAS ANY
KIND OF BONE DEFECT ANYWHERE IN
THE BODY, LIKE DEFECT IN YOUR
SKULL, IN YOUR ARM, IN YOUR
HIPS, ANYWHERE, ALL WE HAVE TO
DO IS TAKE A SCAN OF THAT
PATIENT AND ASK ENGINEERS TO
MAKE A NEW PART FOR THAT
SPECIFIC PATIENT AND THAT WILL
BE MADE AND REPLACED AND HE WILL
BE ON HIS WAY IN A FEW MONTHS'
TIME.
THERE IS NO MORE AND HE CAN
RESTORE THE FUNCTION OF THAT
SPECIFIC PART FULLY SO THAT'S
WHAT I WOULD IMAGINE AFTER 10,
15 YEARS.
>> THAT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT
ASPECT OF THINGS THAT WE ALSO
HAVE THE PEOPLE AND THE ABILITY
TO DO THAT HERE LOCALLY WITH THE
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SVI AND
SUNY WHERE WE CAN DESIGN AND RUN
THESE CLINICAL TRIALS.
WE HAVE A GREAT ORTHOPAEDICS
DEPARTMENT AND REHABILITATION
DEPARTMENT AND AGAIN A GREAT
ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT HERE.
ALL THE PIECES ARE FALLING INTO
PLACE RIGHT HERE IN SYRACUSE TO
DO THIS WORK.
>> THE TECHNOLOGY ISN'T JUST
LIMITED TO BONES.
THE COMPANY IN KENTUCKY HAS
DEVELOPED WHAT IS CALLED THE
WORLD'S FIRST HUMAN TISSUE
PRINTER.
DOWN THE ROAD NEW HUMAN HEARTS.
IN THE VERTEBRATE WORLD, THE
FEMALES ARE THE ONES WHO GET
PREGNANT WITH ONE EXCEPTION.
SEA HORSES.
SOME NEW YORK SCIENTISTS ARE
TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHY.
>> ANYBODY WHO HAS EVER SEEN A
SEA HORSE KNOWS THEY LOOK VERY
DIFFERENT.
THEY HAVE BONY PLATES ACROSS
THEIR BODY.
THEY'VE LOST PELVIC FINS AND
LOST THEIR TEETH.
>> MOST NOTABLY.
>> ALL OF THE MEMBERS OF THIS
GROUP HAVE ONE ANOTHER OR FORM
OF MALE PREGNANCY.
THERE ARE NO OTHER VERTEBRATES
THAT DO MALE PREGNANCY.
>> NONE, NOT ONE.
THIS MAKES THEM A FERTILE
RESEARCH SUBJECT.
>> ANY TYPE OF QUESTION YOU WANT
TO ASK IN REVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY,
THERE IS SOMETHING THEY DO THAT
IS DIFFERENT FROM OTHER FISHES.
>> DR. TONY WILSON IS AN
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR AT BROOKLYN
COLLEGE WHERE HE RESEARCHES SEA
HORSES AND PIPE FISH.
A GROUP OF 300 SPECIES WITH
EVOLVED MALE PREGNANCY IN SOME
FORM OR ANOTHER.
>> WE ARE INVOLVED IN A WHOLE
VARIETY OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF
PROJECTS.
I'M WORKING ON THE GEE GNOME
SEQUENCE, DOING STUDIES ON
HORMONAL RELATED TO PREGNANCIES
AND THE INTERACTION OF MALES AND
FEMALES.
>> ALL IN THE HOPES OF
DISCOVERING HOW MALE PREGNANCY
WORKS.
THESE MALES SWIM AGAINST THE
EVOLUTIONARY TIDE.
THEY CARRY THEIR OWN YOUNG AND
IT REQUIRES A HUGE SACRIFICE OF
TIME AND ENERGY FOR THEIR BROOD.
>> THAT COULD BE USED FOR OTHER
PURPOSES, INCLUDING MATING WITH
OTHER INDIVIDUALS.
>> THERE ARE CLEAR ECOLOGICAL
ADVANTAGES AS WELL.
>> HE HAS COMPLETE CONFIDENCE IN
PATERNITY.
ALL OF THE EGGS IN THE POUCH ARE
GENETIC OFFSPRING OF THAT MALE.
>> HE CAN BENEFIT FROM CHANGING
HORSES IN MID STREAM.
>> IN THEORY THEY CAN ACTUALLY
NOT FEATHER FERTILIZE THE EGG OF
THE FEMALE AND WAIT FOR ANOTHER
MORE ATTRACTIVE FEMALE.
THE MALES HAVE COMPLETE CONTROL.
>> THE MATING RITUALS OF SEA
HORSES HAS BEEN AS NUANCED AS
THEIR PREGNANCIES.
>> WHEN A MALE AND FEMALE
ENCOUNTER ONE ANOTHER, THERE IS
A MATING DANCE THAT TAKES THREE
TO FOUR DAYS.
>> THE TWO LOCK TAILS AND SWIM
SIDE BY SIDE EYEING ONE ANOTHER
UNTIL...
>> THE MALE'S HEAD IS UPWARDS.
THAT'S AN INDICATION THAT HE IS
GOING TO SWIM UPWARDS, A TANDEM
SWIM VERTICAL.
>> AND WHEN THEY REACH PERFECT
ALIGNMENT, THE FEMALE WILL BE
ABOVE THE MALE AND TRANSFER THE
EGGS INTO THE MALE'S POUCH.
AS THE EGGS ARE TRANSFERRED, THE
MALE FEATHER FERTILIZE THEM.
THE EGGS ARE STUCK TO THE
OUTSIDE OF THE BODY OR INSIDE
THE POUCH.
>> UNLIKE FATHERS OF OTHER
SPECIES WHO CARRY OR PROTECT
THEIR YOUNG, A MALE SEA HORSE
PROVIDES SPECIAL CARE FOR HIS
BROOD.
>> THE EMBRYOS IMPLANT SO THERE
IS A CLOSE CONNECTION BETWEEN
THE MALE'S BLOOD SUPPLY AND THE
POUCH AND THE MALE REGULATES THE
INTERNAL ENVIRONMENT.
PROVIDES OXYGEN TO THE EMBRYO.
THE SUGGESTION THAT HE PROVIDES
ENERGY, REGULATES SALINITY SO
WHEN THE OFFSPRING ARE RELEASED,
THE SALINITY INSIDE AND OUTSIDE
THE POUCH IS IDENTICAL.
>> FINALLY HE LABORS THE
OFFSPRING INTO THE WORLD.
>> HE HAS CONTRACTIONS LIKE WE
HAVE SEEN IN HUMANS AND WHEN THE
CONTRACTIONS RELEASE, YOU HAVE
BABY SEA HORSES WHICH ARE
COMPLETELY LIVING.
>> MALE SEA HORSE REPRODUCTIVE
ROLES HAVE BEEN FLIPPED, THE
SIMILARITIES BETWEEN THEIR
PREGNANCY AND THE MALE PREGNANCY
MAY RUN DEEP.
>> WE WANTED TO SAMPLE MALES
THROUGHOUT VARIOUS STAGES OF
PREGNANCY AND WE LOOK AT THE
GENES THAT WERE ACTIVE AT THESE
VARIOUS STAGES OF PREGNANCY.
>> BY SEQUENCING THE RNA WITHIN
THE HORSE'S POUCH...
>> WE DISCOVERED A GOOD PORTION
OF THE GENES WHICH ARE INVOLVED
IN MALE PREGNANCY IN THE SEA
HORSE ARE ACTUALLY ALSO INVOLVED
IN MALE PREGNANCIES WHICH
SURPRISED ALL OF US.
>> ONE IMPORTANT GROUP OF GENES
THEY IDENTIFIED ARE BELIEVED TO
REGULATE A HORMONE CALLED
PROLACTIN.
AS THE NAME IMPLIES, IT HELPS
MAMMAL MOTHERS PRODUCE MILK
AFTER BIRTH.
WHAT DO MALE SEA HORSES USE IT
FOR?
>> JURY IS STILL OUT.
>> THEY'RE WORKING TO SOLVE THE
QUESTION AND THEY HAVE SOME
THEORIES.
>> WORKING HYPOTHESIS IS THAT IT
IS REGULATING THE SALINITY
WITHIN THE MALE'S POUCH.
>> AND FOR DR. WILSON, THE
INNOVATIVE USAGE OF A PREGNANCY
HORMONE BY A MALE SEE MORE HORSE
IS NOT HARD TO CONCEIVE.
>> ANIMALS LOOK DIFFERENT FROM
EACH OTHER BUT IT MAKES SENSE
WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT.
IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO INVENT
SOMETHING COMPLETELY
INDEPENDENTLY IF YOU HAVE
MECHANISMS THAT CAN DO IT IN A
SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT WAY.
>> SEA HORSE PREGNANCY MAY TURN
OUT TO BE UNORIGINAL AND EXACTLY
WHAT YOU WERE EXPECTING.
IN OTHER WORDS, JUST LIKE A DAD
JOKE.
♪7
♪7
>> SEEING A RAT SCURRY OUT OF A
GARBAGE CAN ACROSS THE SIDEWALK
IS USUALLY CAUSE FOR TURNING
AROUND AND WALKING THE OTHER WAY
BUT NOT FOR ONE NEW YORK
SCIENTIST.
HARI SREENIVASAN STAT DOWN WITH
A RESEARCHER WHO SEES A RAT AND
ONLY WANTS TO FIND OUT MORE.
>> RATS ARE THE CREATURES THAT
SCURRY THROUGH TUNNELS, ALLEYS
AND GASH AN CANS BUT FOR THIS
RESEARCHER, THESE CREATURES ARE
A SOURCE OF EVOLUTIONARY WONDER.
RESEARCHERS HAVE BEEN TRAPPING
RATS AND EXTRACTING THEIR DNA TO
LEARN MORE ABOUT THEIR
EVOLUTIONARY ORIGINS AND
INTERACTIONS WITH URBAN
ENVIRONMENTS.
HE JOINS ME NOW.
WITH WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE
EVOLUTION OF RATS, DOES A CITY
OR LOCATION CHANGE A RAT?
>> IT CAN.
THE RAT ORIGINAL ORIGINATED IN
ASIA BUT SPREAD ALL OVER THE
WORLD.
EVERY CITY IS SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT
IN TERMS OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE
THAT IS IN PLACE.
THE HUMAN POPULATION DENSITY,
THE TYPES OF FOODS AVAILABLE.
THE RATS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO
ADAPT TO LOCAL CONDITIONS IN
DIFFERENT CITIES.
>> DOES THAT MEAN THEY'RE
ESSENTIALLY EVOLVING OVER TIME?
SO CAN WE SEE A DIFFERENCE IN
RATS LET'S SAY YOU STUDY
NEW YORK, SO FROM THE BRONX TO
QUEENS TO MANHATTAN?
>> WITHIN THE CITY, YOU SEE VERY
SUBTLE DIFFERENCES ACROSS THE
URBAN LANDSCAPE BUT BETWEEN
CITIES YOU MAY SEE MORE
SUBSTANTIAL DIFFERENCES AS THEY
EVOLVE TO FACE DIFFERENT
PRESSURES.
>> CITIES TRY TO TACKLE THIS
PROBLEM ALL THE TIME, ESPECIALLY
PLACES WITH SUBWAYS AND SO
FORTH, NICE MOIST DARK
ENVIRONMENTS WHERE THESE GUYS
CAN RUN AROUND.
WHY HAVEN'T WE BEEN MORE
SUCCESSFUL AT ERADICATING RAT
POPULATIONS?
>> THERE ARE A COUPLE DIFFERENT
REASONS.
ONE IS THAT THE RAT IS
EXQUISITELY ADAPTED TO REPRODUCE
VERY QUICKLY.
EVEN IF WE CAN REDUCE THE RAT
POPULATION BY 90%, THEY CAN
REBOUND VERY QUICKLY.
YOU CAN HAVE MIGRANTS COMING
FROM NEARBY AREAS AND THE RATS
THAT ARE THERE CAN BREED EVEN
FASTER BECAUSE THEY HAVE MORE
ACCESS TO RESOURCES.
THE OTHER ISSUE IS THAT WE DON'T
REALLY UNDERSTAND THE RATS
BIOLOGY VERY WELL IN CITIES.
WE PUT A LOT OF EFFORT INTO
TRYING TO KILL THEM BUT WE
HAVEN'T PUT THAT MUCH EFFORT
INTO UNDERSTANDING THEM AS A
SPECIES AND UNDERSTANDING THEIR
BASIC BIOLOGY.
THEN THERE IS ALSO A LOT OF
ISSUES THAT ARE NOT PARTICULARLY
SCIENTIFIC BUT MORE
SOCIOLOGICAL.
HOW DOES THE CITY MANAGE ITS
GARBAGE.
HOW DID INDIVIDUAL RESIDENTS
MANAGE THEIR GARBAGE.
HOW ARE BUILDINGS MAINTAINED,
ALL THOSE ISSUES CAN CONTRIBUTE
TO RAT POPULATION BY PROVIDING
THEM FOOD AND PLACES FOR THEM TO
NEST AND BURROW.
>> DO THEY CLUSTER, ARE THEY
COMMUNAL BEING WHERE IF WE ARE
ABLE TO ISOLATE WHERE THE
COMMUNITIES ARE WE WOULD HAVE A
BETTER CHANCE AT ERADICATING
THEM?
>> THAT'S TRUE.
THEY'RE COLONIAL SPECIES.
YOU MAY HAVE A MALE-FEMALE PAIR
AT FIRST BUT THEY BUILD UP
RELATIVES OVER TIME AND BUILD A
NEST NEXT TO THEIR PARENTS SO
YOU'LL BUILD UP A LOCAL COLONY
OVER TIME AND ONE OF THE THINGS
WE ARE DOING IN NEW YORK CITY IS
TRYING TO UNDERSTAND HOW RATS
ARE RELATED IN DIFFERENT PARTS
OF THE CITY.
BUT THE IDEA BEING THAT YOU CAN
IDENTIFY THAT COLONIAL STRUCTURE
HOW BIG IT IS AND WE FOUND THAT
IN GENERAL, IT SPANS A FEW CITY
BLOCKS MAYBE UP TO FOUR OR FIVE
CITY BLOCKS.
SO IF YOU CAN ADDRESS RAT
CONTROL ON THAT SCALE, YOU WOULD
HAVE A MUCH BETTER CHANCE OF
REDUCING THE POPULATION
LONG-TERM.
SO THERE ARE UPTOWN RATS VERSUS
DOWNTOWN RATS?
>> THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS WE
FOUND SURPRISING.
RATS IN GENERAL, YOU SEE NORTH
TO SOUTH KIND OF A GRADIENT OF
RELATEDNESS WHERE THE CLOSER
THEY ARE, THE MORE RELATED THEY
ARE BUT THERE SEEMS TO BE A
SPLIT IN MID TOWN WHERE YOU HAVE
UPTOWN RATS THAT ARE MORE
RELATED TO EACH OTHER THAN THEY
ARE TO DOWNTOWN RATS.
AND WE THINK IT'S BECAUSE MID
TOWN IS KIND OF A BARRIER FOR
THEM, NOT A PHYSICAL BARRIER
LIKE A MOUNTAIN RANGE BUT MORE
OF A HABITAT BARRIER.
THE BUILDINGS HERE ARE BETTER
MAINTAINED.
THERE IS LESS GARBAGE.
THERE ARE FEWER APARTMENT
BUILDINGS AND RESTAURANTS AND
MORE OFFICE BUILDINGS.
SO IT'S KIND OF A NO GO ZONE FOR
RATS.
SO EVEN THAT MINOR BARRIER IS
CAUSING THE UPTOWN AND DOWNTOWN
RATS OF MANHATTAN TO DIVERGE
FROM ONE ANOTHER.
>> HOW DO THEY GET HERE IN THE
FIRST PLACE?
>> WE DID A STUDY WHERE WE ASKED
RESEARCHERS FROM ALL OVER THE
WORLD TO SEND US RAT SAMPLES.
WE RECEIVED TAILS, LIVERS, EARS
FROM RATS ALL OVER, KIND OF
WORST MAIL YOU COULD RECEIVE.
BUT WE WERE ABLE TO EXTRACT DNA
FROM THE SAMPLES AND TRACE THE
PATTERNS OF THE RELATIONSHIPS
BETWEEN ALL OF THESE RAT
POPULATIONS AND NEW YORK CITY IS
FIRMLY RELATED TO RATS FROM
GREAT BRITAIN AND POSSIBLY A FEW
OTHER WESTERN EUROPEAN NATIONS
LIKE FRANCE.
THAT'S NOT SURPRISING GIVEN THE
FACT THAT HISTORIC RECORDS
SUGGEST THEY ARRIVED DURING THE
REVOLUTIONARY WAR OR A LITTLE
BEFORE.
SINCE THIS CITY WAS CONTROLLED
BY THE BRITISH, IT IS NOT
SURPRISING THAT THEY BROUGHT THE
RATS OVER.
>> WHY SHOULD WE CARE ABOUT THE
GENETIC BACKGROUNDS OF RATS?
YOU AND YOUR TEAM ARE WORKING SO
HARD ABOUT THIS.
WHEN YOU DISCOVER WHATEVER IT IS
YOU ARE LOOKING FOR, HOW DOES
THAT HELP US ALL?
>> WELL, FOR US, YOU KNOW, THERE
IS DEFINITELY A BASIC SCIENTIFIC
INTEREST.
A GREAT SYSTEM FOR UNDERSTANDING
EVOLUTION BECAUSE YOU HAVE A
SPECIES, THE SAME SPECIES
INTRODUCED TO SO MANY DIFFERENT
PLACES IT ALLOWS YOU, LIKE A
NATURAL EXPERIMENT WHERE YOU CAN
SEE EVOLUTION PLAY OUT MULTIPLE
TIMES IN DIFFERENT CITIES BUT
THERE IS ALSO AN APPLIED ANGLE.
RATS ARE ONE OF THE WORST
INVASIVE SPECIES, ONE OF THE
WORST PESTS AROUND THE WORLD.
THEY DESTROY FOOD SUPPLIES, THEY
DESTROY INFRASTRUCTURE.
THEY SPREAD DISEASE.
IF WE CAN UNDERSTAND THEIR
BIOLOGY BETTER AND WHERE THEY
CAME FROM AND HOW THEIR
POPULATIONS ARE STRUCTURED, WE
CAN DESIGN BETTER STRATEGIES FOR
REDUCING THEIR POPULATION.
>> ALL RIGHT DR. JASON OF
FORDHAM UNIVERSITY.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> MY PLEASURE.
♪7
♪7
>> THERE ARE LOTS OF MOVIES
ABOUT SPACE EXPLORATION BUT THIS
NEXT STORY SHOWS WHAT HAPPENS
WHEN THE VIDEO COMES FROM NASA.
>> THERE IS NO REAL SCI-FI THAN
NASA.
AS A KID I LOVED SCIENCE FICTION
MOVIES, ANYTHING TO DO WITH
ROBOTS AND DIFFERENT PLANETS AND
DIFFERENT WORLDS I WAS
FASCINATED WITH.
>> AN ADULT AND TO BE ABLE TO
DABBLE IN THAT GENRE AND DEVELOP
THESE WHAT IF CONCEPTS.
>> YOU HAVE EXACTLY 10 MINUTES
TO FINAL MARKER.
>> ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO DIGITAL
FILM MAKING WAS A HUGE GAME
CHANGER.
WENT FROM FILM TO DIGITAL MADE
WHAT I THOUGHT YEARS AGO WOULD
BE KIND OF IMPOSSIBLE TO DO MUCH
MORE AFFORDABLE.
SO WHEN THE SPACE FILM FESTIVAL
CAME UP, I THOUGHT IT WAS A
GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO TRY TO DO
SOMETHING NASA RELATED.
THE WHOLE COOL THING WAS TO BE
ABLE TO INCORPORATE NASA AND
ARCHIVES INTO A PROJECT AND
DEVELOP A STORY.
LIKE BEING A KID.
YOU GOAT PLAY WITH, PLAY LIKE
YOU ARE IN SPACE.
IF YOU CAN'T GO UP THERE, IT'S
THE NEXT BEST THING.
12-MINUTE FILM.
THE ENTIRE PROJECT WAS FIVE
MONTHS.
WE STARTED INITIALLY WITH
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPING A STORY
LINE.
>> TODAY WOULD HAVE BEEN MY
MOTHER'S 50TH BIRTHDAY.
>> I WANTED AN INTERNATIONAL
FLAIR AND INTERNATIONAL FEEL SHE
IS FROM NIGERIA.
SO I GOT THAT CONNECTION GOING.
WE WANTED TO DO SOMETHING BASED
ON WATER.
WATER IS LIFE AND A NICE
CONTINUING THEME THROUGHOUT.
>> EVEN OUT HERE SO FAR FROM
EARTH, I STILL CARRY A PIECE OF
HOME WITH ME.
>> THE PROPOSED-- THE POST
PRODUCTION TOOK A LONG TIME.
THREE MONTHS OF POST PRODUCTION.
WE ARE TAKING THIS NASA IMAGERY
AND INTEGRATING IT INTO THE
STORY.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE HAD A
CHALLENGE WAS FINDING 4K
RESOLUTION FOOTAGE TO USE.
WE COULDN'T FIND A LOT OF THAT
SO WE USED A LOT OF PHOTOGRAPHY.
THERE ARE ABOUT 50 SHOTS IN THE
FILM THAT ARE VISUAL EFFECT
SHOTS BASED ON SOME TYPE OF NASA
IMAGERY.
ABOUT 30 OF THOSE SHOTS ARE
BASED ON PHOTOGRAPHY AND 20 ARE
BASED ON VIDEO FOOTAGE.
WE TOOK SPACE STATION IMAGERY
AND BUILT AROUND INTERNATIONAL
SPACE STATION MARS OFF OF THAT
BECAUSE WE FIGURED IT DIDN'T
HAVE TO BE THE SAME SPACE
STATION NECESSARILY.
>> THE NON-LINEAR EDITING
SOFTWARE IS GREAT BECAUSE YOU
CAN CREATE BIG SCALE LOOKING
FILMS FOR VERY LITTLE MONEY.
I DIDN'T THINK THERE WOULD BE A
WHOLE LOT OF MUSIC IN THIS
INITIALLY BUT IT WAS THE ELEMENT
THAT TIED IT TOGETHER.
>> 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
0.
THERE IS THAT SENSE OF WONDER
AND EXCITEMENT THAT COMES WITH
SPACE EXPLORATION.
THE DISCOVERY THE WATER ON MARS.
THAT WAS IN OUR FILM BEFORE IT
WAS EVER ANNOUNCED WHICH IS KIND
OF NEAT AND THE EXPLORATION OF
MARS BY MAN KIND HAS JUST BEEN
ANNOUNCED THIS SEPTEMBER.
>> SO MUCH RESEARCH.
SO MUCH STUFF THAT WENT INTO THE
STORY.
IT ENLIGHTENED ME AND GOT ME
MORE EXCITED ABOUT NASA AGAIN.
>> MEET THE SCIENTISTS WHO KNOCK
ON WOOD, POT FOR GOOD LUCK BUT
FOR RESEARCH.
AND GRAB YOUR PLATE BECAUSE
TONIGHT ON THE MENU, 3D PRINTED
LASAGNA ON THE NEXT "SCITECH
NOW."