2009 National DNA Day Online Chatroom Transcript

This is just one question from an archive of the National DNA Day Moderated Chat held in April 2009. 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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We know that HIV always mutates. Is it possible to map its genome, if its mutation rate is very high? (Up to 5 wrong nucleotides maybe integrated per genome copied.)      David Bodine, M.D., Ph.D.: I investigate the genetics of pluripotent hematopoietic stem cells (PHSCs) to improve the effectiveness of bone marrow transplantation and to find better ways to use these unique cells for gene replacement therapy. Yes, the HIV genome is relatively easy to sequence. There are parts of the genome that can't be mutated, so you can start sequencing in those regions and go into the regions where there are mutations. HIV genomes are constantly being sequenced. It would be great to discover some mutations that attenuate or weaken the virus, so it could be the basis for a vaccine. Anthro-Therizino (7th grade student)

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