25 April 17

Today is World DNA Day, recognizing the 64th anniversary of the publication of the structure of the DNA molecule. My tie's design is based on the gel electrophoresis plates that helped reveal the sequence of peptides (guanine-cytosine and adenine-thymine) in the double helix. In other news related to genetics and DNA, the movie based on "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" has just been released (on HBO). It tells the true-life story of how cells taken from one black woman in 1951 revolutionized essentially "everything" in genetics, cell biology and drug research because those cells have continued reproducing right through this present moment -- and also the story of how all of that research and development completely depersonalized the original sources and (ironically) richly rewarded many long chains of people except the family of Henrietta Lacks.