Our Broad Branch Road Spring Neighborhood Lecture Series kicks off with Carnegie Science President, Dr. Matthew P. Scott. Scott will present, "Jumping Genes: What They Mean for Evolution and Medicine."
The DNA of one human cell—two copies of our “genome”—would stretch almost two meters if fully extended. However, normally it’s tightly packaged in 46 chromosomes. About 20,000 genes are distributed along this DNA; they carry the information for building and operating a human. Any particular gene is located at a specific place in a chromosome and, normally, stays there. Carnegie scientist Barbara McClintock discovered, in corn, that some genes jump from one place in a chromosome to another. Similar things occur in most organisms, including us. This discovery, which earned a Nobel prize, led to dramatic advances in understanding infectious disease, evolution, and the controls that turn genes on and off in specific places and tissues. This talk will discuss early life on Earth, how jumping genes may have influenced it, and why we should care about jumping genes now…for example if you use antibiotics.
The Broad Branch Road Neighborhood Lectures provide an opportunity to get up close and personal with Carnegie scientists at our campus in northwest Washington DC. These lectures begin at 6:30 p.m. and last for approximately one hour, followed by a brief question and answer period. Doors open to the public at 6:00 p.m. with light refreshments. The campus is located at the intersection of Broad Branch Road and 32nd Street in northwest Washington, DC. Parking is available on campus and accessible via Jocelyn and 32nd Streets. Street parking is permissible. The campus is a short, three-block walk from Connecticut Avenue and two blocks south of Military Road. For directions, click here.
Registration is strongly recommended. Register here.
