TalkGene Genie and Mendel’s Garden: DNA Galore!
Start your week off two great genetics blog carnivals: Gene Genie #8 hosted by Eye on DNA and Mendel’s Garden #15 hosted by The Daily Transcript. (I love the photos of Gregor Mendel at the beach!)
Of their highlights, I noted:
Commentary on open access genomic info vs. genetic privacy, it seems the genetic privacy discussion is part of my daily professional life. So, what do you think about genetic privacy?
What Hsien calls the “catfight” over the discovery of diabetes genes, since you see this happening all the time in research and the media who cover the research (who’s egging them on, after all?). And yes, I know, since DNA Direct is offering the only available test for a diabetes genetic risk factor (TCF7L2, aka the deCODE T2 test), I can’t weigh in on this debate, but I will simply say, anyone considering testing or writing off testing should do their homework about their personal risks and ask themselves, what can someone do with test results and what would you do.
RPM’s crack-down on the NY Times journalists (and by extension, guilty science writers everywhere) and the language we’re using to talk about the, uh, (verb) of the human genome had me laughing out loud. As someone who translates medicine to laypeople for a living, I feel the sting of trying to be accurate but still make sure the layperson at the other end walks away with a correct understanding. In my experience, scientific accuracy often results in the worst consumer misunderstanding. It’s an inherent tension. So while I loved RPM’s post, I still enjoy the Times’ writers for their ability to bring science to the public and for coverage that goes beyond the shallow, sensationalistic, “fill-in-the-blank gene discovered!” reportage that you often seen in the mainstream media. That said, everyone read and repeat after RPM:
“Let’s go through the basics again. Cracking the genetic code refers to figuring out how DNA encodes the information to make proteins — that was done decades ago. Sequencing a genome does not mean that you have decoded the genome; presumably, decoding a genome would mean you’ve figured out the function of every part of a sequenced genome, but there really isn’t a proper definition. In genetics, mapping refers to determining the location of genetic elements, which is different than sequencing. And deciphering has no real meaning.”
The next Gene Genie will be hosted right here. Send submissions to me at lisa [at] dnadirect.com.
Technorati Tags: genes, dna, gene genie, mendel’s garden, genetic privacy, diabetes, risk, tcf7l2, genome, genetic code, terminology
