S4.05: How to be a superhero: the hidden powers within your genes
Hello, and welcome to Genetics Unzipped - the Genetics Society podcast, with me, Dr Kat Arney. In this episode we’re delving into the genetics of superheroes, and explaining why you might have hidden powers within your genes. Unfortunately, I don’t mean the ability to shoot webs from your fingers or save the universe, but something with a lot more real world relevance to human health.
Before we get started, I’d like to tell you about a brand new podcast from First Create the Media - the team behind Genetics Unzipped, together with the MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences. The Suffrage Science podcast: how women are changing science celebrates and inspires women in science, covering the life sciences, physical sciences, maths, computing and engineering.
Subscribe to the Suffrage Science podcast: how women are changing science now from Podbean, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Find out more about Suffrage Science at suffragescience.org
In April 2016, I spotted a remarkable headline to a piece from science writer Ed Yong; “13 Anonymous Genetic Superheroes Walk Among Us”.
Despite the catchy title, these people weren’t gifted with super strength, telepathy or spidey-senses. Instead, they had a much more down to earth ability: all of them carried genetic alterations that should have made them seriously ill, yet they were apparently fine.
So how were these so-called superheroes found? What was responsible for their secret powers? And are there any more of them out there? Let’s take a closer look.
Searching for genetic superheroes
Like all juicy scientific projects, the search for genetic superheroes started with a simple question with a complicated answer: not why do we get sick, but why do we stay well?
Click here to find out more about the search for genetic superheroes.
Ringo the Superdog: how rare genetic variations can lead to new treatments
Ringo the golden retriever was never expected to have a long life. Born in 2003 in a Brazilian dog breeding facility, he had been specially bred to carry the genetic fault responsible for Duchenne muscular dystrophy - a devastating fatal muscle wasting disease affecting around one in 3,500 boys, leaving them wheelchair bound by their teens and usually not making it past their thirties.
Click here to find out more about Ringo the Superdog.
That’s all for now. If you want to know more about the complexities of genetics and how our genes make us who we are, then check out my first book - Herding Hemingway’s Cats: Understanding how our genes work. And if you’re in the US and are interested in joining the Resilience Project, you can find out more from resilienceproject.com or by following the links from the page for this podcast at Geneticsunzipped.com
We’ll be back next time finding out how humans have been giving nature a helping - or hindering - hand, from shaping the evolutionary trajectories of species through our actions to using genetics to conserve endangered species and creating new life through cloning.
For more information about this podcast including show notes, transcripts, links, references, music credits and everything else head over to geneticsunzipped.com You can find us on Twitter @geneticsunzip and please do take a moment to rate and review us on Apple podcasts - it really makes a difference and helps more people discover the show.
Genetics Unzipped is written and presented by me, Kat Arney. It is produced by First Create the Media for The Genetics Society - one of the oldest learned societies in the world dedicated to supporting and promoting the research, teaching and application of genetics. You can find out more and apply to join at genetics.org.uk. Our theme music was composed by Dan Pollard, and the logo was designed by James Mayall, and audio production was by Hannah Varrall. Thanks for listening, and until next time, goodbye.
Credits
All music and sound effects licensed from Envato and Epidemic Sound
Image: Infinite Wonder Woman by JD Hancock via Flickr CC BY 2.0
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