A season of talks will celebrate the discovery of DNA's double helix,50 years ago, writes Dick Ahlstrom
Trinity College in Dublin has organised a series of lectures to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the discovery of the double helix of DNA. The free public talks will explain both DNA and why there is such a research focus on it and genetic technologies.
Each of the lectures, which are aimed at lay audiences, will be followed by a question-and-answer session. The hosts are the staff and students of Trinity's genetics department; each lecture will begin at 8 p.m.
The introductory lecture, on Tuesday, April 22nd, is by Prof David McConnell of Trinity. His presentation, DNA Explained: A Guide To The Human Genome And Beyond, will help the audience understand the structure of DNA and the significance it has for our understanding of life.
On Wednesday, April 23rd, Trinity's Dr Dan Bradley will give a lecture entitled Where Did We Come From? The Genetic Heritage Of The Irish. Dr Bradley has extensively researched our genetic origins as they fit into a broader European context.
Peter Humphries, Trinity's professor of medical molecular genetics, will deliver a talk called Genetics Of Blindness And Strategies For The Development Of Gene Therapy on Thursday, April 24th. Prof Humphries, who has identified a number of genetic links to progressive blindness, will talk about possible treatments.
On Friday, April 25th, Anthony Monaco, head of the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics at Oxford University, will talk about the genetics of speech, language and reading disorders. The Genetics Society's 20th anniversary inaugural lecture, it will explain how speech and genetic inheritance are linked.
The series will be followed on Monday, April 28th, by a keynote talk by Prof James Watson, who, with Francis Crick, uncovered DNA's double-helix shape, a discovery that won them a Nobel Prize. It will be followed by a response from Dr Onora O'Neill, the Cambridge University philosopher and former chairwoman of the Human Genetics Advisory Commission. This lecture is by invitation only and no places are available.
If you have access to the Internet, however, you will be able to hear and possibly watch Prof Watson's lecture. From Monday, Trinity's website (www.tcd.ie) will explain how to log on for the webcast, which is sponsored by BioResearch Ireland and Enterprise Ireland.
Other venues are also publicly screening Prof Watson's talk, followed by presentations and discussions. They include University College Cork (Boole lecture theatre 4, 6.15 p.m., panel chaired by Dr William Reville, free tickets from Claudia Cashman on 021-4902843); University College Dublin (arts block, 6.15 p.m., panel discussion); NUI Galway (Tyndall theatre, 6.30 p.m.); Queen's University, Belfast (South lecture theatre, 6.15 p.m.), the University of Ulster at Coleraine (Octagon, 6.15 p.m., panel discussion, free but confirm place with Alison Milne, ae.milne@ulster.ac.uk) the University of Limerick (Lonsdale Building, room LG011, 6.15 p.m.) and NUI Maynooth (Callan Building, 6 p.m.).
Events are also planned at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and Dublin City University. Please check that seats are available before making any journey. To book a place for any of the other lectures, follow the instructions below.
How to book your place
- DNA Explained: A Guide To The Human Genome And Beyond Tuesday, April 22nd. Call 1550-114705 or, from the North, 0906-6040245
- Where Did We Come From? The Genetic Heritage Of The Irish Wednesday, April 23rd. Call 1550-114706 or, from the North, 0906-6040246
- Genetics Of Blindness And Strategies For The Development Of Gene Therapy Thursday, April 24th. Call 1550-114708 or, from the North, 0906-6040248
- Genetics Society 20th anniversary inaugural lecture Friday, April 25th. Call 1550-114709 or, from the North, 0906-6040249
Please give your name, address and phone number and say how many tickets you want (maximum two per person per lecture). Lines open until fully booked. Calls cost from 74c a minute in the Republic