The most surprising bit of information I learned from this interview was the process by which gene therapy occurs. I had no idea that these “nanocatalysts” were programmed by computers to target one particular place in the body and treat the disease. I was also amazed that you could take cells out of a patient and use a “gene editing tool” called CRISPR to introduce DNA into the cells.
Essentially, this experiment relates to my topic as I am studying human height which is highly determined by the genome of an individual. By watching this interview, I understand how predictable or unpredictable genetics can be and the uncertainty associated with those predictions. Although gene therapy is mostly used for treating diseases and not for predicting human height, understanding how it works gives me a good background for my topic.
Here is a look at a machine used to study the CRISPR process:
Here is a link to a blog on the Personal Genetics Education & Dialogue website that George Church mentioned.