Get Even More Visitors To Your Blog, Upgrade To A Business Listing >>

Three scientists discuss junk DNA

Three Scientists Discuss Junk DNA
I just found this video that was posted to YouTube on May 2019. It's produced by the University of California and it features three researchers discussing the question, "Is Most of Your DNA Junk!" The three scientists are:
  • Rusty Gage, a neuroscientist at the Salk Institute
  • Alysson Muotri, who studies brain development at the University of California, San Diego
  • Miles Wilkinson, who studies neuronal and germ cell development at the University of San Diego
None of them appear to be experts on genomes or junk DNA although one of them (Wilkinson) appears to have some knowledge of the evidence for junk DNA, although many of his explanations are garbled. What's interesting is that they emphasize the fact that some transposon-related sequences are expressed in some cells and they rely on this fact to remain skeptical of junk DNA. They also propose that excess DNA might be present in order to ensure diversity and prepare for future evolution. All three seem to be comfortable with the idea that excess DNA may be protecting the rest of the functional genome.

This is a good example of what we are up against when we try to convince scientists that most of our genome is junk.







This post first appeared on Sandwalk, please read the originial post: here

Share the post

Three scientists discuss junk DNA

×

Subscribe to Sandwalk

Get updates delivered right to your inbox!

Thank you for your subscription

×