Batch Helitron: A New Splash in the Gene Pool

By Batch Helitron

Compiled by Sean Gacutan

BATCH HELITRON (Photo: @seangctn)

Joining GeneSoc was one of the most unforgettable experience in our lives. GeneSoc brought us to our full potential and continues to help us grow, ultimately to promote and create awareness on the science of genetics, as well as to become socially relevant and hone our greatest possibility and that is to be well rounded in all forms.

Lady

With a pen for a dagger and a paper for a whetstone, Lady is someone you would not want to mess around. Hers is a mind full of wild conviction and a heart fashioned from the writings of the old. She is a naturally-inquisitive gal driven by her reveries and also a dreamweaver of sorts. She loves to do everything by routine so a slight deviation from the usual would mean yet another stress. A big mouth she has, full of endless stories of the chivalries of her modern day princes. At a glance, it would seem like she has some malignant intent or something just as bad, but that is all just a façade of quite a typical shy girl who tries to elude the attention of others by putting on that signature “taray” face.

Blaire

Blaire is the type of girl who likes to observe and because of this, she gets happy and sad over the simplest things. But even though she just likes to observe, she is very talkative and very open; a person who always feels like a book ready to be read. Music and reading is her way of escape from the harsh horrors of reality. To be a doctor has been her dream ever since. She describes herself as career oriented because with two younger sisters, you always have to be someone they’ll be able to look up to. When it comes to her family, she could give up everything with no second thought–if she has to.

Sean

With both angst and wit, he braved the world and refuses to fall into irrelevance. He has this love for the smell of old books, tea, museums and art exhibits. You would often find him lost in his own thoughts, which is why, maybe, you will see him staring blankly at nothing. Sean is eccentric and organized, never both at the same time. A thrill seeker, adventurer, wanderer and melancholic, he hopes not to disappoint people. He is in a constant search for the perfect chicken nuggets.

Rex
At first, you would be intimidated with his chinito and snob looks but once you get to know Marlon, you’ll feel home. He dwells upon the habit of baking and singing, and amuses himself with laughter and good company. A mysterious yet a charming person, he refuses to become mundane. Will leave you questioning, where was this person all along? He has this profound personality and a very strong feeling towards cats. Whenever you see him, you’ll see the sun with him. Ultimately, he has your back.

PJ

PJ confuses the world with her sad eyes and sweet smile. Despite the fears that chain her to the ground, she conquered them and rose even higher. She is expressive on her love for God. She shows her pure heart and her nature is expressing herself, not much on words, but on the quality of her work. She has opened herself to changes and has learned from her mistakes. Her horizon is now filled with love and care for the people she has met, and will meet. As she faces the coming days, she now lives with strength, contentment, and support from the people she cares about.


About the batch name
Helitrons refer to eukaryotic rolling-circle transposable elements which were first described in Arabidopsis thaliana, Oryza sativa and the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. To date, helitrons have also been described in a wide variety of species which include protists and mammals. Helitrons distinguish themselves from classical transposons and mechanism of transposition. According to a Cell Review article by Kapitonov and Jurka (2007), this kind of transposons may have an important role in the evolution of host genomes.