Craig Hunter (Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology)
First-Year Seminar 51F | 4 Credits (Fall 2024) | CANVAS SITE
Monday, 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Occasionally a scientific discovery is so unexpected that it is seemingly unexplainable.This seminar will revisit one such event, the discovery of RNA interference and how modern experimental molecular genetics cracked this problem and started a billion-dollar industry.Rare unexpected discoveries in biology, for example catalytic RNAs, instantly extend and broaden our understanding of the world, while the impact of other discoveries (split genes, hopping genes) are more gradual. However, some discoveries challenge firmly supported ideas.The initial description of RNA interference (RNAi) was seemingly magicalthe introduction of a RNA molecule matching the sequence of any gene, results in the effective silencing (turning off) of the gene. Further, the silencing signal(s) were extremely potent and mobile, moving between cells, tissues, and generations.A series of seminal discoveries during an amazing four-year period revealed the previously unimagined process.We will read and talk about how these discoveries were made and how this unexpected new biology launched new therapeutic companies and is informing developing ideas about heritability, adaptation, and evolution.