22 May 2012

It’s those genes

20/07/2011 10:53:00 a.m.

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PETER Donnelly is an Australian mathematician, Professor of Statistical Science at Oxford University and the director of the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics. His early research focused on mathematical and statistical problems in genetics, but over time he has become more involved in the science itself. He visits Wellington next week to present the Sir Neil Walters Distinguished Lecture, The genetic revolution: opportunities and challenges.

Name:
  Peter Donnelly
Age:  52
Occupation: University Professor
Place I call home: Oxford, UK (and Australia)
My passion is:  Human genetics
My hero is: Nelson Mandela
If reincarnated I’d be: A better rugby player

What is your nationality and family background?

Australian. I grew up and went to school and University in Brisbane, before studying for a doctorate in Oxford on a Rhodes Scholarship.

How did you get interested in science?

I enjoyed science in school, and studied mathematics and statistics at university. My research work involved developing and studying mathematical models in genetics, but over time I became more and more interested in the science - the genetics - and now see the mathematics as a very helpful tool for understanding the wealth of information in modern genetics.

What is the human genome sequence and what have we learnt from it?

Our genome is the full set of our DNA, three billion chemical “letters” in total, written in a code, that gives the  cells in our body the information about how to go about their business. Each cell carries two copies of the genome, one inherited from our father and one from our mother.  If we compared the genomes of two different people, they would be the same at about 999 letters in every 1,000. Much of modern genetic research is about trying to understand the information in the genetic code - what the different genes are, how they work, and when and why they are turned on. My work focuses on the small differences between the genomes of different people, to understand which parts make some people more likely to get some diseases than others.
 
How different are human genes from that of a potato?
Human DNA is very similar to chimpanzee DNA (our closest animal relative) - they differ at only about one position in 100. Many of the genes in our DNA are the same as, or similar to, genes in many different organisms, such as flies, worms, and even yeast (which is helpful, as these other organisms can be easier to study, as a route to understanding our DNA). Potatoes are further away in an evolutionary sense, but they also share some genes with humans.

How will human genome research change the face of healthcare?
Virtually all diseases have a genetic component, and we are learning that the same sets of symptoms, or even the way we react to therapeutic drugs, can be caused by different underlying genetic and biological triggers. At an extreme, cancer is a disease of the genome: cancer cells misbehave because their genomes are disrupted in important ways, but these differ between different cancer cases, even when the cancer is in the same tissue (so for example, each case of breast cancer is genetically unique). Better understanding of these genetic factors for all diseases will allow more targeted disease treatments and preventions.

 What are some of the other benefits of human genome research?
The complexity of living things is extraordinary. The basis of that complexity is encoded in their genomes. Trying to better understand this is really fascinating - like exploring a vast, uncharted, world.

Japanese scientists claim they’ve successfully implanted vegetable genes into a living animal. Could it be possible to cross a pig with apple sauce?
No!
 
What are some of the ethical, legal and social challenges presented by genetic information?
There are lots of issues for us to think about as a society. A major one is protecting the privacy of genetic information. Genetic information is at the same time both unique to an individual, but also potentially informative for close relatives.Would we want employers or insurers to be able to use this information? (Very likely not!) Are our healthcare systems preparing appropriately for taking advantage of genetics and genomics?

How can you be identified by your DNA?
Apart from identical twins, each of us has a unique DNA sequence. Knowledge of the entire sequence would thus identify an individual. And measuring enough parts of our DNA (particularly the parts which vary a lot across individuals) as is done in forensic DNA testing, can be a very powerful tool for identification.

Does behaviour have a biological basis?
Virtually all human traits, including many behavioural ones, have a genetic component. But for all interesting traits, genetics is only part of the story, and our upbringing, lifestyle, and environment are also critical: nature and nurture.

Please finish these sentences:
Mathematics isn’t boring because ... it is beautiful, and very useful.
My favourite pair of jeans are ... called PRDM9, one of the most interesting genes in our genome, but that is a longer story. [We thought he’d say Levis]
When I’m not working I like to ... watch the Wallabies beating the All Blacks, especially in Rugby World Cup semi-finals.
The Sir Neil Walters Distinguished Lecture, Massy University Wellington Campus Theatrette, 7pm, July 26
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Cover Story

Best of Wellington 2011

Briefs

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