Ben Blencowe, professor of molecular genetics, University of Toronto
July 8, 2010
Joseph Hall
HEALTH REPORTER
Surely the most surprising finding to come out of the human genome project was this:
We have far fewer genes than almost anyone suspected. At a little over 22,000, humans have approximately the same number of working genes as some lowly species of worms. That means most of our genes must play multiple roles in order to achieve our very un-wormlike biological complexity.
Thus, the genome project has kicked off immense scientific interest and research into how genes manage their multi-tasking and the mechanisms that allow them to do so.
Blencowe’s eponymous U of T lab has become a world leader in these efforts.
“The human genome sequence has helped us to appreciate the fact that our genes are incredible multi-taskers,” he says.
Blencowe was a key author of a recent groundbreaking study that produced a code-breaking tool to help researchers predict how a gene will behave in various tissues.
Blencowe says the genome has also allowed the mapping of smaller, semi-genes that create the tiny RNA molecules that help regulate genetic functions and can play critical roles in diseases.
If there is a perception that the genome hasn’t delivered on its medical promise, Blencowe says it may be due to the over-optimistic reporting on the project a decade ago.
“Perhaps some of the promises were overstated by the media at the time,” he says.
“I think there’s been huge developments as a consequence of having the human genome sequence in biomedical research.”
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