loving art, science and creative kids

Mystery

A DNA Story

Biology is certainly different than it was when I studied peas in high school. I find it exciting to be a witness to changes in the field of bio-genetics. Genes are responsible for human traits, including health, behavior, and disease. Contemporary research influences forensics, medicine, agriculture, pharmaceutics, and what we know about our ancestors. Scientists discovering new genetic markers are rapidly filling gaps in understanding. Our personal stories will eventually take us back to the beginning of human existence-a fascinating thought.

Over the years, I've had three DNA tests. The first was for medical reasons while the next two were for fun. Fortunately, I was told I did not carry genes for a type of cancer common in people with Jewish heritage. Without need for additional medical help, I happily turned my attention to my ancestors. I was delighted when my partner gave me a gift that allowed me to participate in the National Geographic Genome study.

The Genome Study's mission was to track the diaspora of humans who left Africa approximately 180,000 years ago. Due to overpopulation and depletion of natural resources tribes were forced to move in search of better hunting and agricultural land. Just as today, thousands of people escaped to the north. 

Scientists use markers to identify the paths they traveled through Northern Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Europe. How they do this is by using genetic markers identified through DNA passed on from generation to generation with little change. Occasionally they find mutated markers. These are then mapped to show how people diversified into separate genome groupings. This enables geneticists to plot evolutionary trails that show when a person's ancestor evolved from hunter-gatherers to farmers.

My kit arrived with easy-to-follow instructions. All I had to do was rub cotton swabs inside of my mouth, put them in an envelope and return it for analysis. Getting the result took longer than the promised six-week turnaround time, but I was able to follow their progress online. Four months later, I had a story to tell. My family traveled through the Middle East - Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, and then went north through eastern Europe and England. I was surprised to learn I had a minuscule amount of Neanderthal genes, proof of intermingling between Neanderthal and Homo Sapiens in the area around Jordan.

Results were interesting but didn't provide as thorough an understanding as I wished. One problem was that by being a woman with two X chromosome only the female side of my ancestry was followed. It would have been more informative if by brother was the one tested, for my history is the same as his. The Y chromosome is special in that it links men back to their common male ancestors. He would have obtained information about my father's side of the family as well as my mother's. 

The other disappointment was that the information gave a story that ended about 5,000 years ago. Happily, my daughter filled in some of the gaps with a gift that led me back in time from today. Ancestry.com introduced me to my European heritage. They even provided a list of people who might be related. I found my grandparent's Ellis Island documents and located the family on early U.S. census roles. If I had the time, I could dig more deeply and develop a family tree. The study has made me quite curious about Riga, Latvia where my father's family resided for many generations.

As in all things, good and bad come from innovation. Genetic information can easily be subject to misuse if we act naively and do not consider ethical implications. Concerns around such things as genetically modified food, sharing of medical information without consent, and cloning human beings, abound. With that in  mind, if you decide to participate in a genetic study, it is wise to understand how your personal information will be used.

The first phase of the National Geographic Genome Project ended on December 31, 2019. The study was considered a great success. Over one million people participated from over 140 countries. Researchers are able to apply for access to the massive amount of data amassed since 2005.

Have you ever received gene therapy or participated in genetic experimentation of any kind? How about genealogical research based on your DNA? Were you surprised by your results? Do share your experiences and concerns on my blog site.

References:

The following youtube videos are informative.

Video about the National Geographic Genome project (12 years ago) -https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?fr=yhs-adk-adk_sbnt&hsimp=yhs-adk_sbnt&hspart=adk&p=national+geographic+human+genome+project#id=1&vid=3be39ca0ddf5d1edbc1b342eb9195ff1&action=click  ( this tells about the start of the project and what they hope to find)

Video about DNA Mysteries The Search for ADAM National Geographic Documentary (2 years ago) https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?fr=yhs-adk-adk_sbnt&hsimp=yhs-adk_sbnt&hspart=adk&p=national+geographic+human+genome+project&_guc_consent_skip=1579819131#id=15&vid=b13b46f11908e3c8e8a7e25dc5785c31&action=view   (This shows a search for the scientific Adam that leads to the roots of humanity’s family tree)

Lessons from the Human Genome Project ( one year  ago) https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?fr=yhs-adk-adk_sbnt&hsimp=yhs-adk_sbnt&hspart=adk&p=national+geographic+human+genome+project&_guc_consent_skip=1579819131#id=23&vid=26221d12f9a27a500058e51a41eea431&action=view

Takezawa, Y., Kato, K., Oota, H. et al. (2014) BMC Medical Ethics. BMC part of Springer Nature.Article number 33  retrieved from https://bmcmedethics.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1472-6939-15-33

For information about Ancestry’s DNA Program go to - www.ancestry.com/DNA

Art is always for sale: Contact me at [email protected]

Mystery is a 38" by 12" acrylic painting on deep canvas. Cost is $ 399.