2A - Wednesday, October 24, 2012
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
2A - Wednesday, October 24, 2012 The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom
B liAn theTIs tBIOGY TEAM
Builingth bes Bibrck
A GREEN TTJMR
420 Maynard St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1327
www.michigandaily.com
JOSEPH LICHTERMAN RACHEL GREINETZ
Editor in Chief Business Manager
734-418-4115 ext. 1252 734-418-4115 ext. 1241
lichterman@michigandaily.com rmgrein@michigandaily.com
In case Biology 172
wasn't challenging enough
for you freshman year, don't
fret, the Michigan Synthet-
ic Biology Team is here to
help.
The team, which has
competed in the Inter-
national Genetically
Engineered Machines com-
petitions since 2006, works
to create biological systems.
They use biological units
called Biobricks - which
are essentially DNA created
to formulate new biological
systems - according to LSA
senior Josh Atkinson, an
undergraduate member of
the team.
Atkinson said the group
puts DNA into E. Coli cells
to create proteins for vari-
ous purposes. One would be
hard pressed to find a Bio-
brick in any recognizable
technologies, but Atkinson
explained that synthetic
biology is an emerging field,
and the iGEM competition
has only existed since 2004.
The team consists of
about 15 University stu-
dents, primarily from the
College of Engineering and
LSA, but Atkinson said the
group is looking to expand
so it can begin preparing for
competitions year-round.
This year the team com-
peted against more than 40
other Universities in the
iGEM 2012 Americas East
Regional Jamboree - held
in Pennsylvania between
Oct. 12 and Oct. 14 - and
was awarded one of numer-
ous gold medals distributed
at the competition. The
team was also given the
award for the best new Bio-
brick from a natural source.
Next up for the team is a
trip to the World Jamboree
in Boston, one of 14 invitees
from the regional competi-
tion to be granted a spot in
the world competition.
-RAYZA GOLDSMITH
Newsnoom
734-418-4115 opt.3
Corrections
corrections@michigandaily.com
Arts Section
arts@michigandaily.com
Sports Section
sports@michigandaily.com
Display Sales
display@michigandaily.com
Online Sales
onlineads@michigandaily.com
News Tips
news@michigandaily.com
letterstothe Editor
tothedaity@michigandaity.com
Editorial Page
opinion@michigandaily.com
Photography Section
photo@michigandaily.com
Classified Sales
classified@michigandaily.com
finance
finance@michigandaily.com
I
4
Students in the School of Natural Resources and Environment
designed plant natural plants outside the Dana Building on Monday.
CRIME NOTES
Stolen Laptop Phantom
and Hard Drive package
CAMPUS EVENTS & NOTES
Monthly DPS Sharing your
crime meeting research
WHERE: Chemistry
Building
WHEN: Monday at about
2:20 p.m.
WHAT: A MacBook and
hard drive left in a third-
floor room were stolen,
University Police reported.
A suspect was apprehended
at 11 p.m.
Wrenching loss
WHERE: Lurie Biomedical
Engineering Lab
WHEN: Monday at about
9:45 a.m.
WHAT: While a tool box
was left ina locked closet,
three pairs of pliers and
three wrenches were stolen
from it, University Police
WHERE: Bursley
Residence Hall
WHEN: Monday at 5:15
p.m.
WHAT: A student
expecting a package was
notified of it's arrival but
it could not be located
when tryingto retrieve it,
University Police reported.
Oil all over
WHERE: M-89 Lot
WHEN: Monday at about
2:20 p.m.
WHAT: Automobile oil
was spilled near the loading
dock, University Police
reported. Occupational
Safety and Environental
Health staff cleaned up the
spill. No police report was
WHAT: The Department of
Public Safety invites mem-
bers of the University com-
munity to learn about crime
statistics and trends.
WHO: Campus Information
Centers
WHEN: Today at 11 a.m.
WHERE: Michigan Union
Pendleton Room
WHAT: During this session
participants will learn how
to increase the impact of
their research and teaching
materials, and how to share
their work as much as pos-
sible.
WHO: Teaching and
Technology Collaborative
WHEN: Today at 3 p.m.
WHERE: Harlan Harcher
Graduate Library
THREE THINGS YOU
SHOULD KNOW TODAY
Unbeknownst to them,
an Oregon family bought
a house that had been
previously used as a meth
lab, ABC News reported. The
family realized something
was wrong when they began
suffering from mouth sores
and dry mouths.
A dorm's average cost
is $1,455 a month. Com-
pare this to a one-bed-
room apartment in a house,
which is $965 a month.
FOR MORE, SEE
THE STATEMENT INSIDE
Apple has introduced an
iad Mini, a pencil-thin
tablet that is said to be
as light as a pad of paper, the
Detroit Free Press reported.
The new iPad has a dual-core
A5 chip, FaceTime HD, and
a 5MP iSight camera. The
Wi-Fi only model will start at
$329.
EDITORIAL STAFF
Andrew Weiner Managing Editor anweiner@michigandaily.com
SENIO NESETORS aeyGlatthornHaleyGoldbergRa olnGmitn, auyh,
PaigePearcy,AdamRubenfire
ASSISTANT NEWS EDITORS: Giacomo Bologna, Anna Rozenberg, Andrew Schulman,
Peter Shahin,K.C.Wassman
Timothy Rabb and opinioneditors@michigandaily.com
Adrienne Roberts EditorialPagetEditors
SENIOREDITORIALPAGEEDITORS:MelanieKruvelis, Hars thata,VanessaRychtinski
ASSISTANT EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS: Jesse Klein,Sarah Skaluba
Stephen Nesbitt ManagingSports Editor nesbitt@michigandaily.com
SENIOR SPORTS EDITORS:Everett Cook, Ben Estes, Zach Helfand, Luke Pasch,
Neal Rothschild Mat Slovin
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITORS: Steven Braid, Michael Lurila, Matt Spelich,
ColleenThomas,LizVukelich,DanielWasserman
LeahBrrgin ManagingArtsEditor burgin@michigandaily.com
SENIORARTSEDITORS: ElliotAlpern,DavidTao,KaylaUpadhyaya
ASSISTANT ARTS EDITORS: Jacob Axelrad, Laren Caserta, Matt Easton, Kelly Etz,
AnnaSadovskaya,chloesStachowiak
Erin Kirkland and photo@michigandaiy.com
Alden Reiss Managing PhototEditors
SENIORPHOTOEDITORS:TerraMolengraff,ToddNeedle
ASSISTANT PHOTOEDITORS:AdamGlanzman,Austen Hufford, AllisonKruske
MarleneLacasse,AdamSchnitzer
Alicia Kovalcheck and design@michigandaily.com
Amy MackenS Managing Design Editors
Dylan Cinti and statement@michigandaily.com
JenniferXu MagazineEditors
DEPUTY MAGAZINE EDITOR: ZachBergson,KaitlinWilliams
Hannah Poindexter CopyChief copydesk@michigandaily.com
SENIOR COPY EDITORS: Josephine Adams, Beth Coplowitz
BUSINESS STAFF
Ashley Karadsheh Associate Business Manager
SeanJackson Sales Manager
Sophie Greenbaum Production Manager
ConnorlByrd Finance Manager
Meryl Hulteng National Account Manager
Tie Michgs, Daiyl(ISSNt 0145-6is ulio shtediMonday through Fidy duigthetfall and
winter tenmsytsntssatthe OUiesityofMiigan.One copy is aailabie teetioarge
to all readers. Additional copies may be picked up at the Daily's office for $2. Subscriptions for
fol termstarting in September, via U.S.mail are $110. Wintert erm anuary through Aprillis
$115, yearlong (September through April) is $195. University affiliates are subject to a reduced
subscription rate. On-campussubscriptions for fall termare 535.Subscriptionsmust be prepaid.
The Michigan Daily is a member of The Associated Press and The Associated Collegiate Press.
0
Getting rid of Global health
e-mail spam .
career semi}}r
WHAT: Senior Scientist
at Yahoo! Labs, Arniban
Dasgupta, will discuss
some new algorithmic and
machind learning questions
motivated by email spam.
WHO: School of Informa-
tion
WHEN: Today at 1 p.m.
WHERE: North Quad
Residence Hall
WHAT: People with
careers in global health will
share the experiences that
led them to their current
positions in a range of
sectors.
WHO: The Career Center
WHEN: Todayat 5p.m.
WHERE: Michigan Union
Anderson Room
I
U.N. plans for peacekeepers in Syria'
Russian lawmakers
redefine treason
Forces will only
enter the country
if a ceasefire is
approved
UNITED NATIONS (AP) -
The United Nations is already
planning for a peacekeeping
force in Syria should a cease-
fire in that country take hold
and pending a Security Council
mandate, the U.N. peacekeeping
chief said Monday.
Herve Ladsous said, however,
it was still too early to say how
many peacekeepers might be
deployed in such an eventual
force.
"I would confirm that, of
course, we are giving a lot of
thought to what would happen
if and when a political solution
or at least a cease-fire would
emerge," Ladsous told reporters
at a U.N. briefing.
U.N. and Arab League envoy
to Syria Lakhdar Brahimi met
with Syrian President Bashar
Assad in Damascus on Sunday
as part of his push for a cease-
fire between rebels and govern-
ment forces for the Eid al-Adha
holiday, which begins Oct. 26.
Syria's state-run news agency
SANA said Damascus supports
the truce proposal, but would
not commit to halting fire dur-
ing a four-day Muslim holiday
until Western countries and
their Gulf allies stop support-
ing rebels and halt their weap-
ons supplies to the anti-regime
fighters.
Brahimi told reporters, fol-
lowing a closed-door meet-
ing, that he also had held talks
earlier with opposition groups
inside and outside the country
and received "promises" but not
a "commitment" from them to
honor the cease-fire.
Brahimi replaced Kofi Annan
as envoy to Syria after the for-
mer U.N. secretary-general
resigned last August, frustrated
by a lack of progress.
Under Annan's peace plan the
AdisplacedSyrianboyisseeninarefugeecampnearAzaz,Syria,Tuesday,Oct.23,2012.
U.N. sent a 300-strong unarmed and it is simply unacceptable,"
observer mission to Syria to Ladsous said.
oversee the cessation of vio- Diplomats say that Ladsous
lence but the team was forced has told Brahimi he could put
to withdraw in August because together a force of up to 3,000
of escalating fighting which has peacekeepers in the event a lon-
continued until today. ger truce took hold.
"It's a shocking fact that But Ladsous said, "it certain-
everyday 150 to 200 civilians are ly would be premature to men-
killed and it has almost become tion a figure because it would
part of the background noise depend on the situation."
Bill says treason
now extends
to financial or
consulvative acts
MOSCOW (AP) - Rus-
sia's lower house of parlia-
ment on Tuesday quickly
rubber stamped a new bill
widely expanding the defini-
tion of high treason. Critics
alleged the legislation is part
of a wider crackdown on dis-
sent by President Vladimir
Putin, who has already pushed
through laws targeting street
protests, aid organizations and
opposition leaders.
Current law describes high
treason as espionage or other
assistance to a foreign state
damaging Russia's external
security. The new bill expands
it to include moves against
Russia's "constitutional order,
sovereignty and territorial and
state integrity."
The bill, drafted by the Fed-
eral Security Service, the main
KGB successor agency, also
changes the interpretation of
treason to include activities
such as financial or consulta-
tive assistance to a foreign state
or an international organiza-
tion.
The bill, which the lower
house, the State Duma, over-
whelmingly approved Tues-
day, is certain to quickly sail
through the equally pliant
upper house before Putin signs
it into law. It keeps the punish-
ment of up to 20 years in prison
used by the current law.
Rights activists have warned
that the new bill is so loosely
worded that it would allow the
government to brand any dis-
senter a traitor.
"It would allow them to
put any civil activist, let alone
rights defender, in custody,"
said Lev Ponomaryov, a veteran
Russian rights activist. "It will
place a sword over the head
of anyone who is maintaining
contacts with foreigners."
The socialist Just Russia
party was the only Duma fac-
tion that didn't vote for the
bill, although it stopped short
of voting against it. Just Rus-
sia leader Sergei Mironov
voiced concern that the bill's
loose wording could allow the
authorities to use it to stifle dis-
sent.
Russia's rights ombudsman,
Vladimir Lukin, also criti-
cized the bill, saying it would
free investigators of the need
to prove that a suspect inflict-
ed any actual damage to the
nation's security.
Putin has clamped down
on the opposition following
a series of major street ral-
lies against his re-election to
a third term as president in
March. The Russian leader has
claimed that the protests were
staged by Washington in order
to weaken Russia, and he filled
his campaign with anti-Ameri-
can rhetoric.
New repressive laws have
been passed to deter people
from joining protests, and
opposition activists have been
subject to searches and inter-
rogations.
One of the laws passed
this summer obliged non-
governmental organizations
that receive foreign funding
and engage in vaguely defined
political activity to register
as "foreign agents," which is
intended to destroy their cred-
ibility among Russians.
Earlier this month, Mos-
cow declared an end to the
U.S. Agency for International
Development's two decades of
work in Russia, saying that the
agency was using its money to
influence elections - a claim
the U.S. denied.
In August, a court handed
down two-year prison sen-
tences to three members of
the punk band Pussy Riot for
performing an anti-Putin song
inside Moscow's main cathe-
dral. One was freed earlier this
month after a court suspended
her sentence, but the other two
were sent from a Moscow jail
to remote prison colonies this
week.