Bacterial Artificial Chromosomes (BACs) Features

Bacterial Artificial Chromosomes (BACs) Features Definition: Bacterial Artificial Chromosomes or BACs are plasmids (circular DNA molecules) constructed with the replication origin of E.coli F’ Factor. F’ is an incompatibility group involved in E. coli conjugative ability and chromosomal transfer, which can exist as an extra-chromosomal element. 1st developed as a large insert cloning system to facilitate the construction of DNA libraries to analyze genomic structure. Technology was developed to carry out genetic and functional studies of viruses (herpes virus especially). Since then BACs application have grown intensely and have benefited the research community in many fields, such as in genomic fingerprinting, sequencing of the human genome, in vaccine development and in vitro transgenesis,. Characteristic features of BAC vectors The original BAC vector, pBAC108L, is based on a mini-F plasmid, pMBO131 (Figure 1) which encodes genes essential for self-repli ­cation and regulates its copy number inside a cell. The unidirectional self-replicating genes are oriS and repE while parA and parB maintain copy number to one or two for each E. coli genome. Multiple cloning sites is present, flanked by â€Å"universal promot ­ers† T7 and SP6, all flanked by GC-rich restriction enzyme sites for insert excision.   Presence of cosN and loxP sites(cloned in by bacteriophage l terminase and P1 Cre recombinase, respectively) permits linearization of the plasmid for convenient restriction mapping. There is a chloramphenicol resistance gene for negative selection of non-transformed bacteria. Vector is 6900 bp in length and is capable of maintaining insert DNA in excess of 300 kilobases (kb). Other BAC Vectors There have been many modifications done to increase the ease-of-use as well as for use in specific systems and situations.   pBeloBAC11 2 and pBACe3.6 are modified BAC vectors based on pBAC108L and are commonly used as a basis for further modification. pBeloBAC11 The primary characteristic of this vector is the addition of a lacZ gene into the multiple cloning site 2 of pBAC108L. Plates supplemented with X-gal/IPTG, an intact lacZ gene encodes b-galactosidase which catalyses the supplemented substrate into a blue substance. Successful ligation of insert DNA into the vector inactivates lacZ, generating white colonies, indicating the presence of a successful vector-insert ligation. It is still a low-copy number plasmid due to presence of parA and parB. Size of vector is 7507 bp in length. pBACe3.6 This vector is based on pBAC108L but is more highly modified than pBeloBAC11. In order to overcome the issue of low plasmid copy numbers, the P1 replicon in F’ was deleted and a removable high copy number replicon originating from an inserted pUC19 was introduced.   This vector contains 2.7 kb pUClink stuffer fragment which is flanked by two sets of six restriction sites within a sacB region. Levansucrase, a product of sacB gene, which converts sucrose (sup ­plemented in the media) to levan, which is toxic to E. coli host cells. Hence, if the vector is re-ligated without an insert, the functional sacB produces levansucrase and the cells die before forming colonies. Successful ligation of an insert into the vector increases the dis ­tance from the promoter to the coding region of sacB, disrupting toxic gene expression in the presence of sucrose. In addition to this vectors, there are many specialized BAC vectors carrying a variety of different combinations of drug resistance genes. Besides, many different selection mechanisms and markers are available. Modifications of cloning sites (unique restriction endonuclease sites) are also common as per the addition of genes and promoters specific to different strains of bacteria. Development of BAC vector Advantages of BAC Vectors The large size of BACs help to minimize site of integration effects, a phenomenon which has been defined as endogenous sequences (such as gene coding regions and distal regulatory elements) to be disrupted, and to produce potentially undesirable phenotypes in gene cloning technology. Endogenous gene expression more accurately than other cloning systems. The human genome BACs consist of the full gene structure(which play very important role in gene regulation). Therefore the human genome BACs will ensure full mRNA processing and splicing when genes are transcribed, and produce the full complement of protein isoforms once mRNAs are translated. It can be transfected and expressed in mammalian cell lines even if transfection efficiency and copy numbers are low. Disadvantages of BAC vectors A construct containing a large genomic fragment is likely to contain non-related genes which may lead to indirect, non-specific gene expression and unanticipated changes in the cell phenotype. Recombinant BAC constructs can be time-consuming and labor-intensive. The large size BAC DNA constructs are more easily degraded and sheard during manipulation before transfection. Applications of BAC vectors BACs are useful for the construction of genomic libraries but their range of use is vast. It spans from basic science to economically rewarding industrial research, and fields as prosaic as animal husbandry. In genomic analyses, it helps in determining phylogenetic lineage det between species. Helps in study of horizontal gene transfer and since bacterial genes are usually clustered, the ability of BAC vectors to accommodate large inserts has allowed the study of entire bacterial pathways. By isolating DNA directly from soil or from marine environments, the â€Å"metagenomes† of those organisms which are either uncultureable or are termed viable but uncultureable can be cloned into BAC vectors and indirectly studied. In industrial research fields where BAC vectors are invaluable tools in cataloguing novel genomes is in the discovery of novel enzymes. Work has been done on identifying enzymes that are involved in biopolymer hydrolysis or even radioactive waste management. BAC vectors have been instrumen ­tal in studying large double stranded DNA viruses both from an academic point of view and as a tool to develop improved vaccines. In genomic research, high throughput determination of gains and losses of genetic material using high resolution BAC arrays and comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) have been developed into the new tools for translational research in solid tumors and neurodegenerative disorders. BAC technology is becoming the most upcoming method for genome sequencing. The technique uses an overlapping tailing part of large genomic fragments (150-200 kb) maintained within BACs. Every individual BAC is shotgun sequenced, where these large overlapping sequences of the BACs are assembled to produce the whole genome sequence. BACs have also been used in mammalian genome mapping, genomic imprinting, vaccine development, gene therapy and studies of the evolutionary history and functional dynamics of sex chromosomes have recently been possible using BAC libraries. YAC (yeast artificial chromosome) vectors Definition: Yeast artificial chromosomes (YACs) are plasmid shuttle vectors capable of replicating and being selected in common bacterial hosts such as Escherichia coli, as well as in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. They are of relatively small size (approximately 12 kb) and of circular form when they are amplified or manipulated in E. coli, but are rendered linear and of very large size(several hundreds of kilobases), when introduced as cloning vectors in yeast. Many different yeast artificial chromosomes exist as ongoing refinements of the initial pYAC3 and pYAC4 plasmids (Figure 1) constructed by Burke et al. (1987). Basic structural features of YACs were developed from the yeast centromere shuttle-plasmids (YCp) series. These are composed of double-stranded circular DNA sequences carrying the b-lactamase gene (bla) and the bacterial pMB1 origin of replication, thus conferring resistance to ampicillin and the ability to replicate in bacteria, respectively. YACs also contain the cloning site in the middle of the SUP4 suppressor of an ochre allele of a tyrosine transfer RNA gene; this enables restoration of the normal white color phenotype in otherwise red ade1 and/or ade2 nonsense mutants. Accordingly, in the insertional inactivation cloning process, the SUP4 gene is disrupted by the DNA insert, thus removing the suppression of the ade mutations and allowing their phenotypic expression as red color. They also include yeast ARS1 with its associated CEN4 DNAsequence, as well as the URA3 selectable marker. Biological Features of YACs The stability of YAC vectors in yeast per se is similar to that of natural chromosomes provided that all three structural elements (ARS, CEN and TEL) are present and functional, in addition, that the minimal required size is reached by the insertion of enough exogenous DNA. Indeed, several mutations are known to affect YAC stability and segregation together with natural chromosomes. Another important consideration is that faithful duplication of YACs is guaranteed only if other DNA sequences incompatible with ARS do not exist on the construct, particularly relevant when unknown DNA inserts are cloned in the YAC vector, as in the case for genomic libraries, in which there could be cryptic or otherwise unknown ARS-like sequences able to interfere with the ARS function. Construction of YACs Steps: Initially, purification of plasmid DNA is carried out. Two distinct digestions are performed: the first with BamHI that cuts twice adjacent to the two telomeric DNA sequences flanking the HIS3 gene, which therefore is excised from the plasmid and lost (Figure 2a). This first digestion generates a long linear fragment carrying telomeric sequences at each end. The second digestion consists of the opening of the cloning site within the SUP4 gene (Figure 2a). As a result of this second digestion, two linear fragments are produced as left and right arms of the future linear YAC (Figure 2b). Large DNA fragments with ends compatible to the cloning site, obtained from the desired genome source by digestion with an appropriate restriction endonuclease, are ligated with phosphatase treated YAC arms, to create a single yeast-transforming DNA molecule (Figure 2c). Primary transformants can be selected for complementation of the ura3 mutation in the host, and successively for complementation of the host trp1 mutation, thereby ensuring thepresence of both chromosomal arms. Transformant colonies containing the exogenous DNA insert within the SUP4 gene are detected by their red colour, due to the inactivation of the suppressor activity and the consequent accumulation of a red metabolic precursor in ade host cells. Applications of YACs Applications of YACs range from generating whole DNA libraries of the genomes of higher organisms to identifying essential mammalian chromosomal sequences necessary for the future construction of specialized mammalian artificial chromosomes (MACs). Helps in the study of regulation of gene expression by cis-acting, controlling DNA elements, that are present either upstream or downstream of large eukaryotic genes, after the transfer of these YACs from yeast to mammalian cells. YAC libraries has greatly advanced the analysis of genomes previously cloned in cosmid vectors. For example, YAC clones have been used as hybridization probes for the screening of cDNA libraries, thus simplifying the characterization of unidentified genes. Recent technological developments allow the transfer of YACs into mouse embryonal stem (ES) cells and the subsequent generation of transgenic mice. Investigators have begun to employ these artificial chromosomes for the in vivo study of multigenic loci in mammalian cells. Two process can be used to obtain a sequenced genome, or region of interest: 1. Physical Mapping. 2. Chromosome Walking. It allows for the detailed mapping of specific regions of the genome. With the help of this, whole human chromosomes have been examined, such as the X chromosome,generating the location of genetic markers for numerous genetic disorders and traits. Bibliography Smith, GA. Enquist, LW. 1999 A self-recombining bacterial artificial chromosome and its application for analysis of herpesvirus pathogenesis. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 97; 4873-4878 Shizuya, H., Birren, B., Kim, UJ., Valeria, M., Slepak, T., Tachiiri, Y., Simon, M. 1992 Cloning and stable maintenance of 300-kilobase-pair fragments of human DNA in Escherichia coli using an F-factor-based vector. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 89; 879-8797 Fu, H., Dooner, HK. 2000 A gene-enriched BAC library for cloning large allele-specific fragments from Maize: Isolation of a 240-kb contig of the bronze region. Genome Res. 10; 866-873 Kim, UJ., Birren, BW., Slepak, T., Mancino, V., Boysen, C., Kang, HL., Simon, MI., Shizuya, H. 1996 Construction and characterization of a human bacterial artificial chromosome library. Genomics 34;213-218 Frengen, E., Weichenhan, D., Zhao, B., Osoegawa, K., van Geel, M., Jong, PJ. 1999 A modular, positive selection bacterial artificial chromosome vector with multiple cloning sites. Genomics 58; 250-253 Flotte, TR. 2000 Size does matter: overcoming the adeno-associated virus packaging limit. Respir. Res. 1; 16-18 Whitman, WB., Coleman, DC., Wiebe, WJ. 1998 Prokaryotes: the unseen majority. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 95; 6578-6583 Anderson, SI., Lopez-Corrales, NL., Gorick, B., Archibald, AL. 2000 A large-fragment porcine genomic library resource as a BAC vector. Mamm. Genome 11; 811-814 Heintz, N. 2001 BAC to the future: The use of BAC transgenic mice for neuroscience research. Nature Rev. Neur. 2; 861-870 Adler, H., Messerle, M., Koszinowski, UH. 2001 Virus reconstituted from infectious bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC)-cloned murine gammaerpesvirus 68 acquires wild-type properties in vivo only after excision of BAC vector sequences. J. Vir. 75; 5692-5696 Fischer CR (1969) Enzymology of the pigmented adenine requiring mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces. Biochemical Biophysical Research Communication 34: 306–310. Cross SH, Allshire RC, McKay SJ, McGill NI and Cooke HJ (1989) Cloning of human telomeres by complementation in yeast. Nature 338:771–774. Jakobovits A, Moore AL, Green LL et al. (1993) Germ-line transmission and expression of a human-derived yeast artificial chromosome. Nature 362: 255–258.

Catherine Lucille Moores Shambleu and Greek Mythology :: Science Fiction Greece Myth Essays

Catherine Lucille Moore's Shambleu and Greek Mythology Throughout history, humans have had legends, myths and folk tales. Many of these dealt with monsters that cannot be found on the planet Earth, at least any more, especially the myths of ancient Greece. In such cases, there can be a fine line between where myth ends and science fiction starts. In Catherine Lucille Moore’s short story "Shambleau," one such myth crosses that line. That myth is the ancient Greek myth of the Gorgons. Gorgons had snakes for hair and could turn anyone into stone by looking at them in the eyes. "Shambleau" tells the tail of something very much like a Gorgon with snakes as its hair. This creature, called a "Shambleau," comes to and terrorizes a town. In the American Heritage College Dictionary, myth is defined as: "A traditional story dealing with supernatural beings, ancestors, or heroes that informs or shapes the world view of a people" (903). The same dictionary has science fiction defined as: "A literary genre in which the plot is typically based on†¦space travel, or life on other planets" (1221). Both definitions deal with life that is not natural to Earth. While the origins of such creatures may be different, they both deal with non-human sentient beings. Several science fiction stories deal with extraterrestrials visiting Earth in what humans would call the "Ancient" era and becoming part of a culture’s mythology. Then they might come back in the "Modern" era. One such story is Moore’s "Shambleau." Gorgons from ancient Greek mythology are creatures who look human but have snakes for hair and can make anyone or anything that looks them in the eye turn into stone. In "Shambleau," a female extraterrestrial, resembling a Gorgon but with subtle differences, terrorizes a town. A man, not knowing what she is or what she does, tries to protect her from an angry mob until he finds out her true intentions. The story ends with him promising to go off and kill her. However, it is said that she does something to humans which is like an addictive drug. Unlike a Gorgon, however, she had feline qualities such as "three fingers and a thumb, and her feet had four digits apiece too, and all sixteen of them were tipped with round claws that sheathed back into the flesh" (528). Yet, like a Gorgon, she had hair that "squirmed of itself against her cheek" (531).

Lack of Education Essay

Student life is full of charm and enjoy and everyone who is in practical life always seem to miss his/her student life. But the student life also has challenges and problems of its own. The students of developing countries like Pakistan have lots of problems, such as financial problems, poor transportation system, language barrier, incompetent teachers and many more. One of the problems faced by students is that usually they are not free to choose study programmes of their own choice. Parents normally impose upon them a field of study which may not be suitable for the child or which he doesn’t feel comfortable with to study. This is a very common problem of our society. A student may want to be a journalist or a photographer but his parents may select engineering for him. So when he gets admission to the engineering college, he does not perform well. He then starts to feel that he is not fit for the field. Parents should think about it and stop imposing study programmes on their children. They should only inform them about the scope and problems of every field, and let them choose a study programme. Students, after passing their matriculation examination, face too much confusion about the selection of their further studies. They don’t know which study area is best for them. Most of the students don’t even know different fields of studies other than engineering and medical due to lack of study and career counselling. They get admission to these programmes and then don’t get good marks. That’s when they can’t get admission to medical or engineering colleges, and become upset thinking about their career. We don’t have career counsellors in Pakistan other than a few institutions which hire career counsellors to guide their students. Students should have some basic knowledge about any profession before deciding to take it as their future profession. Students should be able to consult their teachers, parents and friends in this regard, particularly the persons that are already attached with the profession they are interested in.

Stand By Your Ad Disclaimers on Political Ads

Stand By Your Ad Disclaimers on Political Ads If youve watched television or paid attention to your mail in an election year, chances are youve seen or heard one of those political ad disclaimers. They come in many different varieties, but the most common is a straightforward declaration by the candidate who sponsored the ad: I approve this message. So why do candidates for Congress and president say those words, which mostly state the obvious? Theyre required to. Federal campaign finance rules require political candidates and special-interest groups to disclose who paid  for the political advertisement.  So when Barack Obama appeared in a campaign commercial during the 2012 presidential election, he was required to state: Im Barack Obama and I approve this message. The political ad disclaimers have done little to bring transparency to many of the most negative political ads, though - those launched by super PACs and other shadowy special interest who specialize using dark money to influence voters. The rules also dont apply to political ads on social media. Studies have shown the disclaimers have done little to make campaigns more positive because candidates are increasingly brazen, coarse and unafraid to throw mud on their opponents, even if the claims are dubious and unsubstantiated. Origins of Stand By Your Ad Law The law that requires candidates to state I approve this message is commonly referred to as Stand By Your Ad. It is an important component of the  Bipartisan  Campaign Finance Reform Act of 2002, a sweeping statutory effort to regulate the financing of federal political campaigns. The first ads to contain the Stand By Your Ad disclaimers appeared in the 2004 congressional and presidential elections. The phrase I approve this message has been in use ever since. The Stand By Your Ad rule was designed to cut down on the number of negative and misleading advertisements by forcing political candidates to own up to the claims they make on television, radio and in print. Lawmakers believed many political candidates would not want to be associated with mudslinging for fear of alienating voters. I will bet this: there will be moments in the studios when the candidates say to the producers of the ads, Ill be damned if Im going to put my face on that, said Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, who was instrumental in getting the provision signed into law. Examples of Political Ad Disclaimers The Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act requires political candidates to use the following statements to comply with the Stand By Your Ad provision: I am [Candidate Name], a candidate for [office sought], and I approved this advertisement. Or:   My name is [Candidate Name]. I am running for [office sought], and I approved this message. The Federal Election Commission also requires television ads to include a view or image of the candidate and a written statement at the end of the communication. Political campaigns have gotten creative about circumventing the regulations, though. Some candidates now go well beyond the standard I approve this message disclaimer to attack their opponents. For example, in the 2006 congressional race between Republican U.S.  Rep. Marilyn Musgrave and Democratic challenger  Angie Paccione,  Paccione used the required disclaimer to go negative on the incumbent: Im Angie Paccione,  and I approve this message because if Marilyn keeps lying about my record, Ill keep telling the truth about hers. In a New Jersey Senate race that year, Republican Tom Kean inferred that his Republican opponent was corrupt by  using  this line to fulfill the disclosure requirement: Im Tom Kean Jr. Together, we can break the back of corruption. Thats why I approved this message. Stand By Your Ad Doesnt Really Work In a 2005 study, the  Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress found that the  Stand By Your Ad rule had no effect on respondents levels of trust in candidates or the ads themselves.   Bradley A. Smith, a professor at  Capital University Law School in Columbus, Ohio, and chairman of the Center for Competitive Politics, wrote in National Affairs that Stand By Your Ad was having negative effects on the political process: The provision has failed miserably to curb negative campaigning. In 2008, for example, researchers at the University of Wisconsin found that more than 60% of Barack Obamas ads, and more than 70% of ads for John McCain - that great crusader for restoring integrity to our politics - were negative. Meanwhile, the required statement takes up almost 10% of every costly 30-second ad - reducing a candidates ability to say anything of substance to voters. Research has also found that Stand By Your Ad has boosted the credibility of attack ads, having the opposite effect intended under the law. Researchers at the University of California-Berkeley’s Haas School of Business found that â€Å"the tagline, far from disincentivizing negativity in advertising, has actually made it surprisingly effective,† according to study co-author Clayton Critcher.

Digital TV essays

Digital TV essays Broadcasting, the transmission of information by radio or television, is a major factor affecting the television industry today. Broadcasting is currently achieved through analogue, a system that has existed since television began in the 1940s and 50s. "Analogue converts sound and pictures into waves, which are then transmitted through the air and picked up by our rooftops or indoor aerials." But, because of rapid technological advances in the modern era, analogue will soon be obsolete, and is presently in the process of being replaced by digital broadcasting, the new form of broadcasting that "turns pictures and sound into computer language, which changes ones television into a form of computer, so that it can connect to the Internet, take interactive programs, and carry many more channels," all of which cannot be accomplished through analogue. As modern technology grows, the television industry is introduced to major issues, such as low consumer confidence, a! nalogue switch-off difficulties, and the lack of technical skills. And unless these problems are resolved soon, they will lead to the collapse of the television industry. Concerns associated with employee technical skills is becoming very common in the digital TV industry. The industry fears that its employees may lack the advanced technical knowledge required for the future. Its major concern right now is to find the right people with the right skills to effectively implement future strategies. Digital TV companies must become much more competent, innovative and creative, which means that its employees must be willing to develop themselves and their company in order to sustain the industry. As many are aware, IT skills will be very essential to the well-being of the industry. Because a number of shoppers today are already purchasing products online and Internet access via digital TV exists, advanced IT skills are definitel...

What strategies are effective in prolonging breastfeeding Essay

What strategies are effective in prolonging breastfeeding - Essay Example Also, breast milk is economical, readily available (NHS, 2007), and could positively affect the child’s IQ level. (Angelsen et al., 2001) For this reason, the World Health Organization (WHO) strongly recommends mothers to breastfeed their baby up to the first 6th month of age (WHO, 2007) while others recommend that breastfeeding should last up to the 12th month of age (National Health and Medical Research Council, 2003). Considering the benefits of breastfeeding, it is necessary to determine several strategies that could prolong the breastfeeding between the nursing mother and a new born infant. In the process, the research study will contribute a lot to the â€Å"Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative† (BFHI) project that was organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) back in 1992 in order to promote a global breast-feeding practice. (Unicef, 2007) A lot of mothers are experiencing difficulties related to breastfeeding during the early part of postpartum period. There are quite a number of factors such as the type of labour and birth (Jordan et al., 2005; Henderson et al., 2003; Rowe-Murray & Fisher, 2002; Sinusas & Gagliardi, 2001) as well as nutritional intake the expectant mother (McCrory et al., 1999) has been exposed with may affect the production of breast milk among the newly mothers. A good example related to the type of labour is the research study conducted by Torvaldsen et al. (2006), Baumgarder et al. (2003, and Henderson et al. (2003) showing the use of epidurals or adding fentanyl (an opoid) to epidurals analgesia during the time the expectant mother is in labour blocks the opportunity for mothers to fully breastfed their infants few days after the delivery. Eventually, the drug ceases breast milk production during or right after the first 24 weeks. Although it has been noted that the use of epidurals could result to difficulty in breastfeeding, the impact of

Ethical Issues when Marketing with Children Essay

Ethical Issues when Marketing with Children - Essay Example It was also revealed that children greatly affect the commodities their parents buy. Estimates done in this field show that projects tailored for children in the year 2006 totalled fifty two billion dollars. (McGee and Heubusch, 1997) Regardless of all this potential returns that children can give manufacturers and their marketers, there are key ethical issues that arise in the discussion. For example, do children have the capability of understanding some of the intricate marketing tactics Do children posses the final buying power Do marketers need to get permission from their parents And do children understand the negative effects of some of the products advertised to them These key questions will be analysed in relation to business pressures then recommendations will be made. Some companies have become notorious for the utilisation of psychologists in their advertising and marketing campaigns. Normally what such companies do is that when trying to create marketing strategy, they will involve psychologist to tell them about tactics that they can use to influence children. Since psychologists understand the way child's mind works, they can help marketers create campaigns that will be directly aimed at them and those ones that can easily influence their choices. This trend has becoming so alarming that the American Psychological Association has raised an alarm about it. They have set up a committee to estimate the effect that the involvement of psychologists in the marketing process of children's products has on them. The group has asserted that no psychological principles should be used when marketing to children. They are also recommending that there should be some sort of strategy to protect the young ones from exploitation though the use of psychologica l ploys. (Beder, 1998) The basic framework which steers marketing ethics revolves around three main issues. These are; values stakeholders processes Marketing ethics that are done on a value inclined framework are those one that involve the analysis of the kind of value that the marketing idea creates. So advertisements may instil in their target audiences positive or negative attributes. This all depends on their implementation. For example, an advertising targeting a child may become a problem if it violates the right to privacy, transparency, honesty or autonomy. By using psychologists in the process of creating advertisements for children, marketers are imposing upon children's right to autonomy and transparency. They try studying children's behavioural trends and then use this to exploit those children. This is quite unethical. The process oriented framework in marketing ethics is founded on the basis of analysing marketing ethics through the categories that marketers use. For example research, promotion and placement must be done in an ethical manner. This is something that marketers have chosen to ignore because their research is not done in an ethical manner. Their research involves using psychological experts who may use their knowledge to take advantage of children who belong to vulnerable groups (Lizabeth, 2001) Targeting children alone Marketers who create marketing campaigns that are just directed towards children only are engaging in unethical marketing practices. This is because children are naive. They are at a stage of development