In this study, the masking effect of olfactory stimulus on the awakening state due to sound stimuli while driving using Graphic Driving Simulator was observed through the response of autonomic nervous system. The test was conducted for 11 males in their twenties. The siren of ambulance car was presented to them as auditory stimulus for 30 secs while driving in a situation of high way in the condition of both peppermint and control, respectively, and LF/HF ratio of HRV (Heart Rate Variability), the activity index of sympathetic nerve, and GSR (Galvanic Skin Response) response were examined. The test was proceeded in the order of three stages, that is, sound stimuli (test 1), driving performance, and sound stimuli (test 2), and fragrance stimulus, driving performance, and sound stimuli (test 3), and the physiological signal of GSR, HRV was measured in the whole stages. As a result of test, comparing the results of before and after auditory stimulus test (1) (p < 0.01), test (2) (p < 0.05), and test (3) (p <0.01), driving performance test (2) (p < 0.01), test (3) (p < 0.01), and olfactory stimulus test (3) (p < 0.05), respectively, GSR response increased, showing significant difference in all the tests. It indicates that when auditory stimulus was presented to the subjects, they were in the awakening state as sympathetic nervous system got activated. As a result of comparing auditory stimulus while driving before and after presenting olfactory stimulus, there was no significant difference in GSR response. The LF/HF ratio of HRV increased, showing a significant difference only in test (2) (p < 0.05), and in driving performance test (2) (p < 0.05) in auditory stimulus, however, it showed no significant difference in olfactory stimulus. As a result of comparing auditory stimulus while driving before and after presenting olfactory stimulus, there was a decrease, showing significant difference (p < 0.05) in LF/HF ratio of HRV. That is, it means that the activation of sympathetic nervous system decreased, and that parasympathetic nervous system got activated. From these results, it was observed that while driving, the awakening level due to auditory stimulus was settled with olfactory stimulus. In conclusion, it was drawn that while driving, olfactory stimulus could have the masking effect on auditory stimulus.

날치 알과 이의 대체 어란인 열빙어 알 및 청어 알의 안전성과 식품성분 특성에 대하여 살펴보았다. 날치 알의 크기는 열빙어 알 및 청어 알에 비하여 컸다. 날치 알의 수분 함량과 염도는 페루산이 중국산에 비하여 수분의 경우 높으나 염도의 경우 낮았고, 인도네시아산에 비하여는 수분의 경우 낮았으나, 염도의 경우 높았다. 한편, 기타 어란의 수분 함량과 염도는 열빙어 알의 경우 각각 80.4% 및 3.2%, 청어 알의 경우 각각 65.4% 및 20.0%를 나타내었다. pH, 휘발성염기질소, 중금속, 생균수 및 대장균군의 결과에 의하면 이들 5종의 어란의 경우 여러 가지 가공소재로 이용하여도 위생적인 문제는 없으리라 판단 되었다. 어란의 주요 지방산은 날치 알의 경우 16:0(27.8-30.5%), 18:1n-9(7.2-8.0%), 20:5n-3 (5.6-8.2%) 및 22:6n-3(22.0-25.6%)이었고, 열빙어 알 및 청어 알의 경우 이외에도 16:1n-7(6.7 -9.3%)이었다. 어란의 총아미노산 함량은 9.44-10.39 g/100g 범위이었고, 주요 아미노산은 aspartic acid, glutamic acid, leucine 및 lysine이었다. 날치 알의 무기질 함량은 인도네시아산의 아연을 제외 한다면 열빙어 알 및 청어 알의 무기질 함량보다 높았다. 관능 검사 결과에 의하면 열빙어 알과 청어 알 에 비하여 날치 알이 색과 조직감에서는 우수하였으나, 향은 차이가 없었다.

CRISPR/Cas9-based genome editing technology fast replaces the previous methods that require protein engineering such as Zinc Finger Nucleases (ZFNs) and TALE nucleases (TALENs). Conventional genome editing of plant cells using CRISPR/Cas9 technology largely depends on Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of the plant cells and subsequent regeneration of whole plants from the edited cells. During this process, unwanted foreign DNAs including the antibiotics gene and fragments of the T-DNA can be introduced into plant genome. Insertion of these unwanted DNA causes lots of regulatory restrictions when commercializing the LMO products. To step aside these issues, we designed DNA-free ribonucleoprotein-based method and regenerated whole plants from the successfully engineered cells. We will share our discovery on the successful implement of this technology in lettuce protoplasts.

Genome editing that allows targeted mutagenesis in higher eukaryotic cells and organisms is broadly useful in biology, biotechnology, and medicine. We have developed zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs), transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs), and Cas9 RNA-guided engineered nucleases (RGENs), derived from the type II CRISPR/Cas prokaryotic adaptive immune system, to cleave chromosomal DNA in a targeted manner, producing DNA double-strand breaks in cells, the repair of which via endogenous systems gives rise to targeted genome modifications. The Cas9 protein, when complexed with small guide RNAs (sgRNAs), recognizes and cleaves target DNA sequences complementary to the guide RNAs in vivo, inducing targeted genome modifications at high frequencies in cultured cells and whole organisms. Despite broad interest in RNA-guided genome editing, RGENs are limited by off-target mutations. Here, we show that off-target effects of RGENs can be reduced below the detection limits of deep sequencing by choosing unique target sequences in the genome and modifying both guide RNA and Cas9. Furthermore, we deliver purified recombinant Cas9 protein complexed with sgRNAs (RGEN ribonucleoproteins (RNPs)) to animal embryos and cultured human cells including hard-to-transfect pluripotent stem cells to achieve highly efficient RNA-guided genome editing in cells and whole organisms. RGEN RNPs cleave chromosomal DNA almost immediately after delivery and are degraded rapidly in cells, reducing off-target effects and mosaicism.

Reliable and precise techniques for targeting modification of plant genomes have been explored in plant breeding communities. Initiated in the animal genome first, now the genome editing tool using a nuclease has been reported in some plant species including Arabidopsis, Maize, Tobacco, and other model systems. When the artificial nuclease is introduced into a plant cell and breaks the genomic sites randomly, endogenously operating DNA-repair mechanisms including non-homologous end joining(NHEJ) or homologous recombination(HR) are anticipated, leading to insertion of foreign DNA or deletion of the target locus, which collectively allows changes in plant traits of interest. Traditionally custom designed for induction of double-strand DNA break(DSB) at a predetermined locus was based on zinc-finger nuclease which contains nonspecific cleavage domains with target specificities of DNA binding zinc finger domains(three to four). The binding domains containing more than 20 DNA bases with high affinity to the target gene enable recognition of the locus efficiently. From this project, we focus on a petunia chalcone synthase(CHS) as a model system. The engineered nuclease will target the CHS gene, which is expected to be modified either constitutely or transiently. The derived transformed plants will be genetically or phenotypicly screened, along with molecular confirmation analysis by using various tools. We eventually extend the tools to various crop species and target genes, which makes the brand-new breeding technique more reliable and robust.