What is lurking in your genes?
Date: Monday 4th December 2017
Time: 7pm
Venue: Waterstones, Sauchiehall Street
Speakers: Kevin O’Dell
The first human genome sequence was completed in 2003. It was a remarkable project involving thousands of researchers from all over the world. It took 13 years to complete and cost something in the region of three billion dollars. Extraordinary progress in DNA sequencing technology now means that a machine that looks remarkably similar to a memory stick can determine the entire DNA sequence of you or me within a week for less than £1000. But how does this remarkable coding system work, and what does it say about you? What can your DNA sequence really reveal about your family history, and what can you really discover about your ancient ancestors? And can you DNA really predict your future in terms of health and disease?
Kevin O’Dell works at the School of Life Sciences at the University of Glasgow where he is the Professor of Behavioural Genetics. He started his career investigating the genetic basis of sex-specific behaviour in fruit flies, and now runs the third year of the Genetics degree programme at the University of Glasgow. In March 2017 he published his first book Genetics? No Problem!, which takes the reader through a series of engaging problems in genetic research. He was appointed Dean of Public Engagement at the University of Glasgow in July 2016, and as a result has spent much of the last year meeting interesting people in coffee shops. In 2014 he won the Royal Society of Edinburgh’s award for Innovation in Public Engagement. He also works with Time-Tastical Productions on their comedy science shows Zombie Science and Superhero Science.