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Genetics - they make you, YOU. Humans have between 20,000-25,000 genes, and all of them play a key role. But for many of them, we don't even know what they do. However with the advancement of genetic methods, we are starting to gain further insight into what some of these genes do, and how they affect our health. But what sorts of applications do we have for our ever-growing knowledge of genetics? Join us tonight as we explore the ways in which our understanding of genes can help with key medical issues. Can we use our understanding of the genome to one day overcome infertility?
How genetics research is helping couples have healthy pregnancies
Dr Ben Skinner
(Lecturer, Life Sciences, University of Essex)
What can couples trying to conceive do if they risk passing on a genetic disease? They may choose in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and use pre-implantation genetic testing (PGT) to select only 'healthy' embryos which can be implanted into the mother. But getting and testing genetic material from embryos this early is difficult, with practical challenges (how much DNA can you collect?) and analytical challenges (what can this DNA actually tell you about the embryo?). In this talk, we will explore methods used to measure embryo 'health', and some of my computational research exploring their limits.
When carrots aren't enough: a genetic disease causing night blindness
Hannah Staggs
(PhD Student, University of Essex)
Specialised cells in the eye contain rhodopsin, a receptor which captures light and signals to the brain for us to see in dimly lit conditions. Mutations in rhodopsin can lead to the incurable genetic disease retinitis pigmentosa. Starting at a young age, people with this disease gradually progress to legal blindness. To understand how some of the many mutations cause disease, my research looks at their effect on the functioning of rhodopsin.
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