BIO 105 A CURRENT ISSUES IN BIOLOGY: PERSONALIZED MEDICINE
You are undoubtedly a unique individual full of your own thoughts, hopes, dreams, strengths, and weaknesses that make you who you are. Yet your core biological make-up, your DNA, is 99.9% identical to all other humans. This tiny genetic variation has a dramatic impact on your health and which preventative and therapeutic options might be right for you in the future. The sequencing of the human genome and efforts to characterize human genetic variation have paved the way for a new understanding of an individuals’ disease risk and likely response to treatment. In this course, we will cover basic principles of Mendelian and molecular genetics and genomics, and study how advances in DNA technology and our understanding of genetic variation are making it possible to create a new level of personalized diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease. We will also discuss ethical, legal, and social issues surrounding personalized medicine and DNA technology.