25 Feb 2005

My Family and Other Animals - What It Means to Share Genes - Public Lecture

If we are that close to Chimpanzees, shouldn't they be given human rights? And what about blondes - are they in danger of disappearing?

These are some of the questions that will be raised in UCC's continuing Faculty of Science Public Lecture Series on Wednesday evening next (March 2nd) when Dr Tom Moore of the Department of Biochemistry discusses the science of genes in a lecture titled: My Family and Other Animals - What it Means to Share Genes. To mark the Cork Capital of Culture celebrations, this year's lecture series, organised by Professor William Reville, is being presented as The Last Lecture Series  and speakers have been asked to prepare their material as if it were the last chance to do so. So far, speakers have included Dr Paddy Sleeman, Dr Ed Walsh and Dr John Polkinghorne, and record audiences have been enjoying the challenging and thought provoking lectures.

Dr Moore will argue that when it comes down to it, we're not that different from one another after all and he will cite a recent study showing that if the human race could wind the clock back a mere 4,000-5000 years, we would all meet our common ancestor, probably in North Africa. Colour differences, really, are only skin deep! He will also offer some intriguing insights into the genetic "tug-of-war" that goes on in the womb.

While people continue to place great emphasis on family ties, from a gene perspective, Dr Moore says, we might be surprised to find that we are not much closer to our great great grandfather than to anybody else. And now that people are on the move as never before, the "global village" is likely to witness the greatest inter-mingling of genes in the history of the human species. Where will it all lead? For instance, will distinct ethnic groups as we now define them, merge into a homogenous mélange of  genes? Is genetic sameness our destiny? These questions, Dr Moore adds, will undoubtedly occupy the boffins for many decades to come.

There are others. As humans are far closer to chimpanzees than rats are to mice, some people, notably in America, now advocate the conferral of human rights on some animals. Do these people have a point? As for blondes - given that the blond gene is recessive and that its stronghold is in one relatively small part of Northern Europe, the question arises, are blondes as we know and love them, in danger, or should they take remedial action by selecting only partners that will guarantee blonde offspring? Genes are indeed a complex business.

The lecture will take place at UCC's Boole Lecture Theatre 4 at 8pm on Wednesday March 2nd.

Admission is free, and as always, members of the public are invited to attend.

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