Genetics: What Makes Us?

Today, DNA ancestry testing is big business. Companies now claim to reveal our ancestral origins and ethnic mixture with pinpoint accuracy and at affordable prices. But how do these tests work? And is identity really all in the genes? We explore what genetics can tell us about who we are and where we come from, by taking a look at the science and social uses of DNA ancestry testing.

We know that people who spend time together influence one another, but we have very little idea as to how this works. In laboratory mice we looked at multiple traits relevant to human health and found that traits of one mouse could be affected by the genes of its cage mates. I will explain how this is possible and how we can use genetics to help us understand how social partners may affect each other’s health.