DNA: Promises and Problems

I. What is DNA? An analogyII. Common DNA technologies

A. DNA profilingB. Genetic EngineeringC. ReprogeneticsD. Stem Cell ResearchE. Cloning

III. Brave New World?

• DNA is like a cookbook

• Genes are like recipes for proteins

• Codons are like the words in the recipes

• ATCG are like the letters of the words

I. What is DNA? An Analogy

• Amino Acids are like the ingredients

• Ribosomes are like the ovens

• RNA is like the cook

• Proteins are like the cookies

Questions

In the DNA analogy, what are the words?A. CodonsB. ATCGC. Amino acidsD. GenesIn the DNA analogy, what are the recipes?A. CodonsB. ATCGC. Amino acidsD. Genes

II. Common DNA technologies

A. DNA profilingB. Genetic EngineeringC. ReprogeneticsD. Stem Cell ResearchE. Cloning

A. DNA profiling

Connections

Three domains

Genetic homology implies biologicalrelationship which implies common ancestry.

Genome Comparisons

Bonobo

Chimp

98.7% homology6 to 8 mya

Human origins and connections

The human family Human origins

99.9% homologyThe Genographic Project

DNA DatabasesCODIS

Questions

Based on DNA profiling and other DNA comparisons, how genetically similar are humans and chimpanzees?a. 10.3% b. 50.9% c. 98.7% d. 99.9%

Based on DNA profiling and other DNA comparisons, how genetically similar are all humans?a. 10.3% b. 50.9% c. 98.7% d. 99.9%

What is the goal of the Genographic Project?a. To determine how many genes humans haveb. To determine where humans originatedc. To determine how closely related we are to other animalsd. To determine the paths taken by humans from out of Africa

B. Genetic engineering

transgenic organisms

How can we do this?

Animals that glow!!!!

GFP

Axolotl

A germline GFP transgenic axolotl

Paedomorphosis

agriculture

The Holy Grail of GM Crops

Legumes

Rhizobium: root bacterium

nitrogenase

N2

High in protein

Protein and nitrogen

Nitrogen fixation

78% of air

Nitrogen fertilizer

medicine

zygote

egg sperm

Germ line therapy

1. Gene therapy

2. Pharmacogenetics

SCID

What about other genes?

QuestionsWhy did researchers insert a jellyfish gene into a monkey?a. Monkeys that glow make really cool petsb. Just to see if they could do itc. So they could study the activity of the gene of interestd. To find out if jellyfish and monkeys were related

Which of the following is NOT a use for transgenic species?a. Producing important human proteinsb. Growing human organsc. Producing animals that produce better animal productsd. Determining the function of human genese. All of these are uses of transgenic species

Genetic testing for diseases

C. Reprogenetics

In vitro fertilization (IVF)

Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD)

C. Reprogenetics

PGD•Cystic fibrosis

•Hemophilia•Sickle cell trait•Tay Sachs

(preimplantation genetic diagnosis)

IVF (in vitro fertilization)

•Sex determination• At risk diseases

Eugenics?

D. Stem Cell Research

Ethics?Totipotent and pluripotent

E. Cloning

Therapeutic versusReproductive cloning

F. Brave New World?

Unsubmissive Plant by Remedios Varo

The end