Exploring Your Inner Zebrafish
Listen to Geneticist Dr. Perry Hackett and Evo Devo Biologist PZ Myers as they discuss the Top Life Science Stories of 2008.
Big genome stories were everywhere in 2008. The cancer genome, the woolly mammoth genome, the synthetic genome revealed their secrets. Inexpensive genetic tests hit the market and new data on understanding human ancestry. Biologists also made headlines with high speed sequencing, pluripotent stem cells, RNA regulation, copy number variation, the e. coli evolution results and a Nobel for fluorescent proteins – all happening in the Life Sciences.
We'll be defining the terms and explaining how these advances impact our lives the environment and the economy. We'll also explain why this is just so darn cool. We'll also take some time to celebrate the new presidential administration will look to science for policy guidance, and discuss the implications for funding, education and the economy.
PZ Myers
Dr. PZ Myers is an Associate Professor of Biology at the University of Minnesota, Morris Campus. He is a regular contributor to SEED magazine on topics related to Evo-Devo, at the ScienceBlogs site “Pharyngula,” and on radio and podcasts throughout the human universe. He is rumored to be experimenting on interspecies cloning between vampire squid and humans. PZ is perhaps the most famous member of Minnesota Atheists.
Dr. Perry Hackett
Dr. Perry Hackett started working with DNA 45 years ago. His record has changed from working on cancer viruses, through the developmental genetics of fish and genetic engineering of Minnesota Superfish to all the way to his current research on genetic engineering and human genetic engineering. The research uses a novel method for inserting new genetic material into the chromosomes of vertebrate animals. Dr. Hackett awakened the Sleeping Beauty transposon system from a ten million year evolutionary slumber.
Dr. Hackett continues his research in gene therapies at The Beckman Center of the University of Minnesota. He teaches a freshman seminar on “Genomics” as well as courses in graduate level molecular genetics. Dr. Hackett is the co-founder of two bio-tech companies in Minneapolis-St. Paul.
Lynn Fellman will interview Drs. Myers and Hackett. Your host is Stephanie Zvan and the directors are August Berkshire and Mike Haubrich.