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Mysteries of the Human Genome: April 2012
Every cell in your body contains a complete copy of your DNA, your genome, that contains the instructions which were used to build the person you are from a fertilized egg. These instructions involve the 20,000 or so stretches of DNA we call genes, and the conversations among the genes underpin all of human biology. Some of these genes are so ancient that we share them with every other living thing on earth, but nowadays biologists are as interested in the parts of the genome that lie outside genes: regions that have been referred to as the 'dark matter' of the genome.
Many of these mysterious parts of the genome have been shown to direct the activity of genes and play critical roles during your development within your mother's womb and in human evolution. Although more than 99% of your genome is identical to mine, the human genome is large, and we differ on average at several million single points in our DNA sequences.
We know that certain variations an individual may carry at these points increase your risk of contracting common diseases like cancers, heart disease and stroke. Scientists are now sequencing thousands of additional human genomes from people all over the world to discover more of this variation and to better understand its effects. The results promise to revolutionize our views of human biology and medicine.
Join Dr Colin Semple (Head of Bioinformatics at the Medical Research Council Human Genetics Unit) to hear about the surprises and mysteries uncovered since the first human genome sequence was published a decade ago.
Edinburgh International Science Festival talk:
1 April 15.30
National Museum of Scotland
TICKETS £8.00
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Public Engagement for the Portobello Beavers Group:
April 2012
Unit scientists Joe and Jacqueline Rainger, from David FitzPatrick’s research group, recently gave a fun packed introduction to genetics to the Portobello Beaver Group. The young scouts (age range 6-7 years) were shown the amazing variety of eye types among different animal species and then were introduced the concept of instructions being inherited and having influence over our development, for example our hair and eye colour.
The Beavers were able to make DNA bracelets representing their own hair colour genes, similar to the IGMM genetics activity presented at this year’s Edinburgh Science Festival, and the session finished off with an activity illustrating the importance of following instructions effectively, where the children had to race across the room or stop depending on the road sign held up and their own hair or eye colour.
Dr Rainger said “I hope these activities leave a lasting legacy on the children’s minds with the single take home message that our genes are simply instructions that we all have, which make us who we are”.