Today's 60 Second Science Podcast is brought to you by those busy sperm:
Sperm Subject To Attack—By Pollution
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Sperm Subject To Attack — By Pollution [podcast]
The latest in birth control for men: Remote-controlled sperm plug
For all the men out there who just aren't ready to go under the knife, this plug is for you. Researchers in Australian researchers are designing a radio-controlled implant to keep the little guys from reproducing.
Rather than the likely permanent effects of a vasectomy, the radio-controlled implant can be turned on and off with a remote control.
"It will be like turning a TV on and off with a remote control," said team founder Derek Abbott, "except that the remote will probably be locked away in your local doctor's office to safeguard against accidental pregnancy or potential misuse of the device."
Although this method sounds like a go, a remote-controlled sperm plug is several years away from being put to use in the bedroom.
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Sperm created from female embryo; men now irrelevant
My girlfriend always said I was useless, but this is ridiculous: British scientists at the University of Newcastle have coaxed female embryonic stem cells to develop into primitive sperm cells. They'd previously done it with male bone marrow cells, but this new development opens up the door to lesbian couples having children that share genes from both parents.
That same University of Newcastle team is applying for permission to turn female bone marrow into sperm cells, which one lesbian partner could donate to be turned into stem cells, which would then be used to impregnate the other partner. The next step for Prof. Karim Nayernia and team is to encourage the sperm to undergo meiosis to ensure they have enough genetic material to fertilize an egg. Nayernia first flirted with the possibility of deriving sperm from stem cells when he used sperm taken from male embryonic stem cells to fertilize mice to produce seven offspring, six of which survived to adulthood, though they did suffer from side effects.
“I think, in principle, it will be scientifically possible,” Prof Nayernia told New Scientist.
But Prof. Nayernia's methods aren't without technical and ethical detractors.
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Sperm Serves As Moving Model [podcast]
Today's 60 Second Science Podcast is brought to you by The California Cryobank:
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