How Can You Speed Read the Blueprints of a Living Creature?
There are 6 spots open to MAGPI members with H.323 videoconference capabilities. There are 5 spaces available to Non-MAGPI Members with H.323 Videoconference Capabilities.
Program Description
Join Dr. Robert Johnson, Lab Coordinator and Lecturer in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Pennsylvania for an interactive presentation on how to speedread the blueprints of human life!
The blueprints of a living creature are stored in long, chainlike molecules known as DNA. These blueprints are written in a code format using four chemical bases called A, C, G and T. The particular sequence of these bases determines almost everything about the creature including what type of creature it is, what it eats, what it looks like and how long it lives. We can learn an extraordinary amount about a living organism by reading the sequence of bases in its DNA. However, the number of bases in an organism’s DNA can be enormous and reading them all can be time consuming and expensive. For example, human DNA contains about 3 billion bases. The first complete sequence of human DNA was obtained in 2003 after about 12 years of work costing almost $3 billion.
Cheaper, faster and more reliable methods to sequence DNA are highly desirable. These methods would not only facilitate biological research but also revolutionize medicine and personal healthcare. The ability to speed-read DNA could be achieved by threading DNA molecules through small holes in graphene (pictured above), a material closely related to graphite (pencil lead). In this talk I will describe current research towards the development of ultrafast DNA sequencing technology and how such technology could impact society.
Videoconference Outline:
Welcome/Intros - 5 minutes
Introduction of Ultrafast DNA Sequencing - 10 Minutes
Hands On Demonstration/Activity - 10 Minutes
Question and Answer Session - 15 Minutes
Wrap-Up - 5 Minutes
Post-Session Activity
Discussion on the pros and cons of ultrafast DNA sequencing.With the advent of ultrafast DNA sequencing technology, it could be possible for complete copies of each person’s DNA sequence to be read, catalogued and stored just like any other medical record. What would be the pros and cons of having this information on hand? What are ways that it could be used and misused?
About the Presenter
Robert Johnson has a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Pennsylvania and a B.S. In Physics with a Math Minor from Penn State University. Dr. Robert Johnson is currently the Lab Coordinator and Lecturer in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Pennsylvania.
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November 8, 2011 10:00am - 11:00am *
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February 7, 2012 10:00am - 11:00am *
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Sponsors
The Laboratory for Research on the Structure of Matter, the LRSM, is the center for materials research at the University of Pennsylvania. It was established in 1960 as one of the first Materials Research Laboratories to be funded by the forerunner of DARPA. In 1972 funding was taken over by the National Science Foundation's Division of Materials Research, NSF-DMR under the aegis of the MRL program. In 1996, the core of the materials research program at the LRSM was supported as a Materials Research Science and Engineering Center, MRSEC, funded by an NSF-DMR. The current MRSEC grant (DMR05-20020) supports the interdisciplinary research of affiliated faculty from three Schools: Arts & Sciences (Chemistry, Physics & Astronomy), Engineering & Applied Sciences (Bioengineering, Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Electrical & Systems Engineering, Materials Science & Engineering, Mechanical Engineering & Applied Mechanics) and Medicine (Physiology, Biochemistry & Biophysics).
