2011 National DNA Day Online Chatroom Transcript

This is just one question from an archive of the National DNA Day Moderated Chat held in April 2011. The NHGRI Director and many genomics experts from across NHGRI took questions from students, teachers and the general public on topics ranging from basic genomic research, to the genetic basis of disease, to ethical questions about genetic privacy.

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How can we define dominant or recessive in terms of modern molecular biology or genomics?
     Anne Madeo, M.S.: I have an M.S.in Human Genetics from the University of Michigan and currently working at the NIH as a genetic counselor since 2000. ýShe is currently the Associate Director of the Johns Hopkins University/NHGRI Genetic Counseling Training Program. Your question is wise. Our understanding of genetics and genomics has expanded far beyond Mendel's original work. If we take a systems biology perspective, it's clear that genes interact in ways that are far more complex than can be understood by simple recessive or dominant explanations. I admit, I don't have a good definition for them. However, I think good definitions will evolve and be more abstract as our understanding of genetics expands.
University of Molecular biology and bioinformatics (Higher Education )

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