Eric Lander Studies Genomics

magine, 20 years from now, sitting in a cold doctor's office deciding the genes of your unborn baby, what color hair, eyes, speed of metabolism, height would you even know what to pick? Impossible you might say but in this day and age technology is growing ever so rapidly that picking the genetic makeup of your baby is closer than you might think. The technology is called CRISPR. This technology doesn't only have the ability to change physical traits, but genetic traits specifically genetic abnormalities and diseases. 20 years ago, no one would have ever thought we would have the answer to, in theory, cure every genetic disease from sickle cell anemia to cystic fibrosis. However, with great scientific breakthroughs comes questioning and

During January of 2013, scientists based at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard were able to demonstrate fixed change in human and animal cells using CRISPR-Cas9. This marked a turning point in genetic advancement—though CRISPR was far from mastered, its potential was beginning to show.

Over the last 10 years scientists have been involved in the progression and completion of the Human Genome Project. "Scientists working on this project have developed detailed maps that identify the

CRISPR has been garnishing a lot of media attention recently and it is not just popular among the scientific community but also the general public. Several online news outlets and scientific journals have been talking about the significance CRISPR-Cas could have for the field of genetics and science as a whole. I even came across a Youtube video from The Verge, a tech channel that normally does reviews on new smartphones and laptops talking about CRISPR [15]. So why is CRISPR gaining so much attention both from the scientific community and the general public? The answer lies in the potential this technology possesses.

Our incessant curiosity for knowledge and answers has prompted the intricate research institutions we know today. Among the volumes of research, scientists have searched for innovations to better understand the human body and edge closer to more individualized medicine. In 1990, breakthroughs in genetic technology allowed for researchers to begin a quest to map and understand all the genes of human beings. A mere 13 years later and just shy of $3 billion invested the Human Genome Project successfully mapped the billions of base pairs involved. With the ability to diagnose specific abnormalities, researchers and medical professionals have saved hundreds of ill children to which their survival was indefinite. However, with scientists continuing

Before discussion of the ethical, legal and social issues can be successful, some background information is needed. For example, why is the goal of mapping the human genome important? Who is going to benefit or at least be affected by this new

In February 2001, Venter et al., reported on the “penultimate milestone” – the feat of mapping 95% of the euchromatic portion of the human genome (Venter et al., 2001). Multiple discoveries were made in the process of mapping the human genome: the number of genes (fewer than imagined); the percent difference between individuals (less than 0.1%); and new techniques (Polymerase Chain Reaction) (Venter et al., 2001; National Human Genome Research Institute, 2012).

Eric Lander studied/studies Genomics. He went to princeton university and now is a professor at Massachusetts institute of tech (harvard). Eric Lander has discovered Mammalian genomes, genome regulation, microbial and fungal genomes, cell circuits connectivity map, RNAI consortium.

Since the invasion of the western culture on the rest of the world, a new standard of science has emerged. This new breed of scientist digs for answers wherever he/she thinks that they may be found, with no compassion for the environment around them or the outcome of those actions. The modern day scientist seems to have a problem with accepting nature for the way it is and instead, is trying to constantly rearrange it for the proclaimed reason of, the good of man. DNA research began over twenty years ago because, mankind has always had a lust for how we work and operate. DNA, it was found, seemed to be the blueprint for how the human genetic structure worked and operated. This was where science obviously needed to be headed as it was after all, the possible key to all of mankind’s questions of itself. Some years after, the massive project began known as the Human Genome Project. The project began with the promise of, in the end, being able to figure out the cause of almost every human malfunction and the cure for it (Thomas, p 51).

Scientist have been observing the deeper genetic diversity through the Human Genome Project. The Human Genome Project has helped gain a deep understanding of the molecular cells of an individual, the muscles that let us smile, the brain cells, the cells of our eyes, contain a set of all our genes, the genome. It Is composed of genes, codes, the DNA, mRNA, tRNA, proteins, etc. They form structures that distinguish every individual and by studying the human molecular self has helped scientist the complexity of

After experimenting on rodents and finding triumphant results, scientists transferred over to testing the success of CRISPR-Cas9 on embryos, with

In June 2000, the publicly funded Human Genome Project (HGP) and the private firm Celera Genomics Inc. announced that they had completed sequencing the human genome. This unprecedented accomplishment is expected to enable doctors to diagnose, treat and even prevent numerous genetic diseases. As these two entities worked on sequencing the human genome, there was also a separate and less publicized race to patent as many human genes as possible.

The focus on genes as the primary mode of biological explanation has been especially clear in the marketing of the Human Genome Project. In support of this project, Robert L. Sinsheimer, biologist and former chancellor at the University of

The Human Genome Project (HGP), an international scientific research project, has educated the public tremendously on various topics concerning DNA and genetics. This study has been beneficial to communities alike. As stated, the HGP sought to identify all the genes in human DNA, determine the sequences of the three billion chemical base pairs that make up human DNA, store this information in databases, improve tools for data analysis, transfer related technologies to the private sector, and address the ethical, legal, and social issues that may arise from the project. In favor of achieving these goals, scientists studied the genetic makeup of several nonhuman organisms (Human Genome Management Information System, 2011).

The human genome project is something that I have been very interested with ever since first learning of it. I had heard bits and pieces of what it is about, but my interest was greatly stimulated by Dr. Whited in basic genetics 311 last spring. The discussion that we had regarding the project left me with several ideas and questions about not only the process and ethics involved, but the future of the study of genetics as a whole.