2012 National DNA Day Online Chatroom Transcript

This is just one question from an archive of the National DNA Day Moderated Chat held in April 2012. 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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Is there a way that a human can be injected with fish cells to make them a mermaid or butterfly cells to make them a fairy?
     Janette Lawrence: I am a genetic counselor at Massachusetts General Hospital's Cancer Center. My job is to identify families who are at risk for having a cancer predisposition gene syndrome and offer them counseling regarding their decision to have genetic testing. If families are found to have a gene mutation predisposing them to cancer(s), I help them cope with the diagnosis, set up appointments for their cancer screening, and help identify other family members who may be at risk. Oh, what a wonderful imagination! The simple answer is no...it's very technically difficult to inject cells from another species and acquire the characteristics of that species. Not to mention there are ethical issues with it, too! But, I love your creativity!
McDowell Intermediate High School in PA (10th grade student)

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