GENOME
MIXING

Topic 17:

Thursday, January 20, 2011, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center/Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington Waterfront, Burlington, VT

A mind expanding thought provoking evening for adults, exploring challenging topics with industry experts.

Could genetic engineering of our food supply have a place in alleviating world hunger? Disease? Should one person's right to privacy about genomic information ever outweigh another person's right to access medical treatment? How do we decide whose rights will prevail? Join us in conversation with David Yandell, D.Sc. Professor Pathology and Medicine, UVM College of Medicine.

Free event for 21+ with cash bar and themed drink; FREE hors d'oeuvres sponsored by VT Sigma Xi, Scientific Research Society.

A bio about David Yandell:

Dr. Yandell is a human geneticist and Professor of Pathology and Medicine at the UVM College of Medicine. He is the scientific Director of the UVM/FAHC Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory, and was the director of the Vermont Cancer Center from 1995-2006. He was the principal investigator and project director of the Community Genetics and Ethics Project, a statewide project funded by the National Human Genome Research Institute to disseminate information to Vermonters on the ethical impact of new genetic technologies. On coming to UVM in 1993, Dr. Yandell helped establish and directed the Familial Cancer Program and also helped found and co-Directed the Vermont Human Genetics Initiative, a UVM-based program from which the NHGRI-funded Community Genetics and Ethics Project developed in 1998.

Dr. Yandell has a longstanding professional interest in human genetic diseases, particularly familial cancer syndromes, and in development and application of DNA-based clinical diagnostic testing for genetic diseases. His research career has focused on the cloning or characterization of genes related to cancer predisposition including the human retinoblastoma gene, the genetics of retinoblastoma and other cancer-predisposition syndromes, the molecular pathology of cancer, and development of cost-effective tools for genetic testing. Dr. Yandell has chaired numerous national symposia and workshops on subjects related to cancer and molecular diagnostics, serves as a regular reviewer for various granting agencies and scientific journals, and is the author of more than 100 research articles and chapters. He is also an inventor on a number of patents related to human genes and diagnostic technologies. Prior to coming to the University of Vermont in 1993, Dr. Yandell was a faculty member at the Harvard Medical School and the Harvard School of Public Health for 7 years. Dr. Yandell is a native Vermonter who now lives in Williston.
 

Some questions David will be considering in his presentation:

1. What have we learned since the sequencing of the human genome 10 years ago?
    
2. How good is today’s technology and how will this change our lives
    
3. What’s coming down the road? Do you really want to know?
    
4. Who should own your genes? Are gene patents a 'necessary evil' that reward discovery, or should the human genome be off limits?
    
5. Could genetic engineering of our food supply have a place in alleviating world hunger? Disease?
    
6. Should one person's right to privacy about genomic information ever outweigh another person's right to access medical treatment? How do we decide whose rights will prevail?

Links on the topic:

• To treat two rare disorders, this firm uses defanged HIV virus to get ‘corrected’ genetic material into cells, By Karen Weintraub , Globe Correspondent / August 2, 2010
   
• Deadly Viruses Have Been Part of Us for Millions of Years
   
• Who Am I? This website address questions such as: What happened after the human genome project? What was the human genome project? What did the human genome project find?
   
• UVM page on David Yandell. Includes publications, education, and awards and honors
   
• Feds’ Transgenic-Salmon Review Ignores Big Picture, By Brandon Keim , November 18, 2010
  
  When the Food and Drug Administration announces the fate of the AquAdvantage salmon, the first genetically modified (GM) animal ever considered for commercial consumption, they may have considered only a fraction of their decision’s consequences.
   
• generic NHGRI educational link, although somewhat dated, it's good for folks who need a broader look.
   
• Scientific American article: Revolution Postponed: Why the Human Genome Project Has Been Disappointing
   

Cafe Scientifique questions or topic suggestions?
Please contact Linda Bowden at lbowden@echovermont.org

Our next Cafe Scientifique will be Thursday, March 3, 2011.

Café Scientifique is sponsored by: