In a stunning technical feat, an international team of scientists has sequenced the genome of an archaic Siberian girl 31 times over, using a new method that amplifies single strands of DNA. The sequencing is so complete that researchers have as sharp a picture of this ancient genome as they would of a living person's, revealing, for example, that the girl had brown eyes, hair, and skin. . . .
- Learn more: Gibbons, Ann. “Genome Brings Ancient Girl to Life.” American Association for the Advancement of Science, 15 Aug. 2021, https://www.science.org/content/article/genome-brings-ancient-girl-life.
(NOTE: AI-image generated using CoPilot)
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SO? Race doesn't exactly align with genetics?
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I'm not a scientist, but I have some thoughts about all of this.
ATTN: Calling All Geneticists!
Here is a question that is driving me nuts! I don't know enough about the science of genetics, and I watch way too many movies, which causes a problem for me when it comes to distinguishing fact from fiction.
Watched a James Bond movie, and one of the characters had undergone genetic therapy in Cuba. More specifically, he had undergone DNA replacement therapy that changed him into a completely different person. Are you a wanted criminal? Well, forget about plastic surgery. DNA replacement is the way to go!
OK. Here's the problem I have with that.
Suppose you were doing research on your family tree?
Do you watch that PBS program "Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates Jr." where he traces the ancestry of celebrities? He does the ancestry research two ways: via the records and documents available and via a DNA test. ( pbs.org/weta/finding-your-roots/about/ )
Suppose one of your ancestors underwent gene replacement therapy?
The guy in James Bond went from being North Korean to being British!!
Doesn't that sort of blow a hole in the validity of the whole DNA testing thingamabob to trace your ancestry??
It's a valid question.
Especially considering the significant impact the response could also on have on crime solving.
{NOTE: My original content previously published on MyLot.com}
My Ancestors Did What to Their DNA? | mylot.com
Image credit: Animation of the structure of a section of DNA. The bases lie horizontally between the two spiraling strands. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
