Genetics, epigenetics and disease January 22, 2013

Royal Society GlaxoSmithKline Prize Lecture given by Professor Adrian Bird CBE FMedSci FRS

Adrian Bird CBE FMedSci FRS is the Buchanan Chair of Genetics at the University of Edinburgh.

The human genome sequence has been available for more than a decade, but its significance is still not fully understood. While most human genes have been identified, there is much to learn about the DNA signals that control them. This lecture will describe an unusually short DNA sequence, just two base pairs long, CG, which occurs in several chemically different forms. Defects in signalling by CG are implicated in disease. For example, the autism spectrum disorder Rett syndrome is caused by loss of a protein that reads methylated CG and affects the activity of genes.

The Royal Society GlaxoSmithKline Prize Lecture is awarded for original contributions to medical and veterinary sciences published within ten years from the date of the award.

This event is free to attend and open to all. No tickets are required. Doors open at 6.00pm and seats will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis.

A live video will be available on this page when the event starts and a recorded video will be available a few days afterwards.

Official Website: http://royalsociety.org/events/2013/genetics-epigenetics-disease/