wrm-4

Note: This cache is not at the listed location. You will need to solve the simple puzzle below to obtain the coordinates. Also note that the story below is NOT factual, and in no way intends to promote human testing. It’s just a funny way to review the scientific method.

Stan has been noticing that the candy he hides in the back closet of his lab, below the vacuum sealed bullfrogs, and behind DNA sequencing kits have been going missing. He also noticed the same thing was happening to his back-up candy stache above one of the ceiling tiles. At first, he thought it might have been some of his new students that were responsible. So Stan set up a secret video camera, revealing that the sneaky Kate and Tim had been stealing candy on a daily basis. Stan considered placing a lock on his drawers, but decided to instead conduct an experiment on them instead :).

Fun fact: Stan studied cancer in worms for years while earning his PhD. Scientists use simple organisms like Stan’s worms C. elegans (flies, mice, yeast, frogs, zebrafish, etc.) in order to understand the proteins and molecules essential life. Discoveries made in these “model organisms” are used to make big life-saving discoveries essential to human health. During Stan’s time studying cancer in worms, he stumbled upon a protein (wrm-4) that is essential to worm behavior. If a worm cannot produce this protein, it stops squirming, and stops eating its main source of food bacteria. Stan noticed that when you add the gene responsible for coding for wrm-4 to other organisms, they start acting worm-like as well. Stan also noticed that when he fed the wrm-4 protein to flies they stopped flying and began to squirm. When he fed wrm-4 to mice they stop eating their food pellets and squirmed across their cages. This is a strange result. Most proteins when ingested are broken down and rarely maintain their original function. He wondered if the same effect could be observed in humans.

Stan decided he would need a LOT of the protein wrm-4 for his experiment on Kate and Tim. So stan used a few molecular biology tricks to extract the wrm-4 DNA from worms and add it to the DNA/genome of the bacteria E. coli. He then grows bacteria, using them as a factory to make the wrm-4 protein. Stan extracted the wrm-4 protein and froze it.

In order to test whether the wrm-4 protein has an effect on human beings, Stan designed an experiment where he made batches of hard-candy(butterscotch) at home on the stove-top. All of the candy was made at the same time with the same ingredients. H = 4. The only difference was that the protein wrm-4 was added to half of the batches of candy. Because Tim always steals the candy in the closet, and Kate steals the candy above the ceiling tiles, he can control who gets wrm-4 and who doesn’t. Stan designs his experiment so that for the first 3 months Tim’s candy would be normal, while Kate’s candy would have the added wrm-4 protein.

After a week conducting the experiment, Stan starts collecting data. He counts the number of times he observed Tim or Kate dropping to the ground and squirming on the ground. He also counts the number of times he observes them eating from the garbage(worms love bacteria). After the first 3 months of the experiment Stan flips the batches of candy, so that Tim is receiving wrm-4 and Kate is receiving normal butterscotch candy. Stan waited another 3 months, collecting data along the way. Results can be found in the table and graphs below.

9 = Control: An experimental group used as a standard to compare to the other experimental groups in which one independent variable is changed.

2 = Independent Variables: The one condition that is changed during an experiment while other conditions remain the same.

5 = Controlled Variables: The elements of an experiment that are NOT changed between different experimental conditions.

8 = Model Organism: A species that has been widely studied, usually because it is easy to maintain and breed in a laboratory setting and has particular experimental advantages.

6 = Dependent Variable: The variable that is measured or observed.

N39 AB.CDE W105 0F.GHJ

A = All candy was made the same way, with the same ingredients. Both Tim and Kate received the same amount of candy.

B = Tim during the first 3 months. Kate during month 4-6.

C = The presence of wrm-4 or NO wrm-4 in the candy.

D = The number of times Tim or Kate eat from the garbage or squirm on the floor.

E = Use the results below to decide if Stan's hypothesis that wrm-4 will effect human behavior is correct. (Correct = 9, False = 4)

F =

G = The number of dependent variables in the experiment (multiply by 2)

H =

J = The number of independent variable in the experiment (subtract one)

FACT CHECKING

It is important to note that this is a BAD experiment. The sample size is tiny, it’s unethical, and there is no single protein that would have this sort of effect after being eaten.

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