Event 3: The Postgenomic Condition

Dr. Jenny Reardon's talk about her book and implications
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I attended a talk given by Dr. Jenny Reardon from UCSC, called “The Postgenomic Condition: Justice, Knowledge, Life After the Genome.” Her enthusiasm for the topic and her intriguing viewpoints caught my attention. Before, I only had a general idea about what The Human Genome Project (HGP) is, a project focusing on the determination of the sequence of nucleotide base pairs that make up human DNA. However, after listening to her talk, I learned that the current direction of The Human Genome Project highlights the diverse applications of this project as well as the issues arisen due to unequal access to the genome database.
            A strong connection that I made with the diverse applications resulting from this project is in the lecture “Biotech + Art.” I believe that the key machinery/driver of the Human Genome Project is the machines that do the sequencing (National Human Genome Research Institute). Similar to SymbioticA’s Fish and Chips project that requires a robotic arm to be able to read the movements of a goldfish’s neurons resulting in an artwork made by a robotic art, the fluorescence labeling of nucleotide base pairs from the HGP can be a way to create artwork as shown on Dr. Reardon’s book cover The Postgenomic Condition (Vesna). 
Book Cover of The Postgenomic Condition by Dr. Jenny Reardon
http://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/P/bo22726485.html

Beside illustrating the base pairs in rows like on the book cover, the Circos is a unique genomic data illustration that shows the location of genes and the correlation of each gene to one another (Circos) As an audience viewing this Circos, I find this image speaks to the scientific community about future field of research in order to understand these associations and to the general public about the complexity of human creation and the similarities that we share.
On screen is Circos: a genomic data illustration showing the locations of genes and their mutual associations
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            Dr. Reardon uses the genomic similarities that the human race share to emphasize the issue of unequal access to the genome database. This is because she believes that the problem with contemporary genomic arises from biotech companies focusing on the build-up of genemoic data and not on how these data can serve purpose to society. In general, she is arguing that genomic research is heading down the wrong path of using science for personal profit such as by sequencing machine companies. More importantly, she is promoting genomic liberalism, encouraging individuals not to “speak about the science” but to “talk about the science” because talking is an instrument for the collective to “think what we are doing.” The objective of HGP should be to foster an inclusive community that strives to instill the value of science to the general public. I believe Dr. Reardon has good intention because the most logical way for the public to be interested in science is to discuss about the science behind themselves, the human race.

A Selife with the final slide of Dr. Reardon's presentation
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References: 
 "An Overview Of The Human Genome Project". National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), 2016, https://www.genome.gov/12011238/an-overview-of-the-human-genome-project/. Accessed 6 June 2018.

 "Genomic Data // CIRCOS Circular Genome Data Visualization". Circos.Ca, 2016, http://circos.ca/intro/genomic_data/. Accessed 6 June 2018.

Vesna, Victoria. 5 Bioart Pt5. 2013, https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL9DBF43664EAC8BC7&v=z7zHIdsFS3A. Accessed 6 June 2018.





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