Intro/Overview
● Human cell contains- protein coding 25,000 genes
● Every cell contains 25,000 genes
● Goal of genes- to understand how genes are regulated, turned on and off, how they
coordinate to build a cell, inheritance pattern
● Eugenic ideas- its possible to improve the human race through selective reproduction
(negative- nazi germany, 10s of thousands of minority women sterilized or
institutionalized)
● People are considered “ideal” citizens or fit were encouraged to have children together
while those considered unfit were encouraged not to or prohibited from having children
James watson
-“Some say that we are playing the role of God, well if we don't who will”
Genetic coding with technology
● Genetics based off human genome project- determining all the nucleotides in human
genome (1981-2001) 12 years, 3 billion, 20 institutes for single human genome
● Next gen sequencing- ion torrent dna sequencer, 24 hours, less than 1000
● Supercomputing
● 1.6 exaflop=1.6x10^18 calculations/second or 1,600,000 million
Complexity of cancer
● The same cancers with similar symptoms differ in the genes altered
● Each patient differs in the genes contributing to their cancer
● Each cancer is a “different disease”
● How do we develop the best treatment?
- A problem- we can test for genetic disorders, but for many- no treatment
- The unfit book
● Is one goal to eliminate the gene to select these diseases or behaviors out?
- Musicians and artist tend to be bipolar, do we get rid of it
Transgenic/Genetically Modified Organisms
● manipulate/introduce new genes to the genome and it becomes part of the organism and
is passed down
- Modifying food to have more vitamin, ripping sooner, withstand salt in water ect
- Close to 90% of corn and soybean are genetically modified
● Bt-corn is resistant to insects that kill corn
- Weight of larvae (insects harmless to corn) eating Bt-176 maize pollen declined
between 10 and 81% with increased pollen doses (r = -0.95)
- Ingestion of pollen from conventional maize did not have negative effects on
larval weight gain or survival rate (if you reduce the population of one small
species, it can have major effects later on)
● Round up resistant corn (herbicide weed killer)
, - Weeds are becoming herbicide resistant because they've adapted (the environment
responding)
- Fields are getting saturated with herbicide and is linked to people getting cancer
(maker of roundup got sued)
● GMO is restricted and rare in Europe vs. US has 80% in processed food
CRISPR
● You can go into a single cell and alter the gene without the embryo being effected
● Done in the embryo, modify single genes (used to treat genetic disorders- can now cure
sickle cell anemia)
- Not done often because its new and expensive, cost 2 million
● In China (2018), CRISPR was used to modify to embryos to be resistant of HIV
- It was illegal and done under the table so he was arrested
- Didn't go through any ethical channels and coerced women to donate eggs
- The babies are HIV resistant but became susceptible to other diseases and are at
risk for premature death and have learning disabilities
- Off target effect
How Genetics is effecting our view on History
● Thomas Jefferson owned 600 slaves, one was Sally Hemings
- Hemings was rumored to have 3 children from Jefferson
- She was also his wife's half sister
- First reported in 1802
Organic Molecules (carbon-based) and Water
● Why Carbon?
- Very abundant and versatile
- Can form 4 covalent bonds
- Bonds can be flexible
- Can form long chains (polymers)
- Other elements can bond: hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus (most
important)
● Water- 70% earth, 70% cell
- Acts a solvent (liquid) for biochemical reactions
- Stabilizes proteins and nucleic acids
- Enables diffusion and transport
- Maintains cell shape and volume
- Participates directly in reactions (hydrolysis)
- Interactions with water drive most biological structures
- Polar molecule, oxygen is charged partially negative, hydrogen is charged
partially positive (interaction= hydrogen bond)
● Water structure- molecules of water join together transiently in a hydrogen bonded
lattice (creates 3D structure)
● Human cell contains- protein coding 25,000 genes
● Every cell contains 25,000 genes
● Goal of genes- to understand how genes are regulated, turned on and off, how they
coordinate to build a cell, inheritance pattern
● Eugenic ideas- its possible to improve the human race through selective reproduction
(negative- nazi germany, 10s of thousands of minority women sterilized or
institutionalized)
● People are considered “ideal” citizens or fit were encouraged to have children together
while those considered unfit were encouraged not to or prohibited from having children
James watson
-“Some say that we are playing the role of God, well if we don't who will”
Genetic coding with technology
● Genetics based off human genome project- determining all the nucleotides in human
genome (1981-2001) 12 years, 3 billion, 20 institutes for single human genome
● Next gen sequencing- ion torrent dna sequencer, 24 hours, less than 1000
● Supercomputing
● 1.6 exaflop=1.6x10^18 calculations/second or 1,600,000 million
Complexity of cancer
● The same cancers with similar symptoms differ in the genes altered
● Each patient differs in the genes contributing to their cancer
● Each cancer is a “different disease”
● How do we develop the best treatment?
- A problem- we can test for genetic disorders, but for many- no treatment
- The unfit book
● Is one goal to eliminate the gene to select these diseases or behaviors out?
- Musicians and artist tend to be bipolar, do we get rid of it
Transgenic/Genetically Modified Organisms
● manipulate/introduce new genes to the genome and it becomes part of the organism and
is passed down
- Modifying food to have more vitamin, ripping sooner, withstand salt in water ect
- Close to 90% of corn and soybean are genetically modified
● Bt-corn is resistant to insects that kill corn
- Weight of larvae (insects harmless to corn) eating Bt-176 maize pollen declined
between 10 and 81% with increased pollen doses (r = -0.95)
- Ingestion of pollen from conventional maize did not have negative effects on
larval weight gain or survival rate (if you reduce the population of one small
species, it can have major effects later on)
● Round up resistant corn (herbicide weed killer)
, - Weeds are becoming herbicide resistant because they've adapted (the environment
responding)
- Fields are getting saturated with herbicide and is linked to people getting cancer
(maker of roundup got sued)
● GMO is restricted and rare in Europe vs. US has 80% in processed food
CRISPR
● You can go into a single cell and alter the gene without the embryo being effected
● Done in the embryo, modify single genes (used to treat genetic disorders- can now cure
sickle cell anemia)
- Not done often because its new and expensive, cost 2 million
● In China (2018), CRISPR was used to modify to embryos to be resistant of HIV
- It was illegal and done under the table so he was arrested
- Didn't go through any ethical channels and coerced women to donate eggs
- The babies are HIV resistant but became susceptible to other diseases and are at
risk for premature death and have learning disabilities
- Off target effect
How Genetics is effecting our view on History
● Thomas Jefferson owned 600 slaves, one was Sally Hemings
- Hemings was rumored to have 3 children from Jefferson
- She was also his wife's half sister
- First reported in 1802
Organic Molecules (carbon-based) and Water
● Why Carbon?
- Very abundant and versatile
- Can form 4 covalent bonds
- Bonds can be flexible
- Can form long chains (polymers)
- Other elements can bond: hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus (most
important)
● Water- 70% earth, 70% cell
- Acts a solvent (liquid) for biochemical reactions
- Stabilizes proteins and nucleic acids
- Enables diffusion and transport
- Maintains cell shape and volume
- Participates directly in reactions (hydrolysis)
- Interactions with water drive most biological structures
- Polar molecule, oxygen is charged partially negative, hydrogen is charged
partially positive (interaction= hydrogen bond)
● Water structure- molecules of water join together transiently in a hydrogen bonded
lattice (creates 3D structure)
