The UCSD Division of Biological Sciences presents
Evolution Matters: The Diversity of Development
Lecture 5
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Free registration: 6:00 pm
Lecture: 6:30 pm
San Diego Natural History Museum, Balboa Park
UCSD professor Ajit Varki talks about
"The Genetics of Primate Evolution: A Rosetta Stone for Understanding
Human Disease"
"Nothing in biology makes sense, except in the light of evolution," said
the famed geneticist Theodosius Dobzhansky in 1973, and biological
research since has strongly affirmed that observation. Understanding
our origins, then, especially our long genetic history, should prove
useful in discovering the causes, mechanisms, and treatments of our
diseases. That's the premise of the fifth and final lecture of the
"Evolution Matters" series.
"One powerful way to understand human evolution is through the study of
genomes," says Varki. "Human genetic make-up is remarkably similar to
that of our closest evolutionary relatives-the so-called 'great apes'
(chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans). Despite these genetic
similarities, we also find apparent differences between humans and great
apes in both the incidence and the severity of major diseases, such as
AIDS, certain cancers, heart attacks and malaria, differences which in
some cases may eventually be explained on a genetic basis."
His lecture, says Varki, will focus on the genomic approach to
understanding human evolutionary history, and placing some of our
diseases in the light of genetic changes that occurred during this process.
"I will discuss my own group's research on the many genetic and
biochemical differences between humans and great apes in relation to
sialic acids. This family of sugars has implications for
understanding human susceptibility to certain infections, unusual
features of the human immune system, the human birth process, and the
human brain. I will also discuss our research on surprising findings
regarding one sialic acid called 'Gc', which is found in the great
apes, but not in humans. This non-human molecule can be incorporated
into the human body from dietary sources such as red meat and milk, and
is also now contaminating biotherapeutic molecules that are produced using
animal-derived materials."
For news release for this lecture,
visit: http://ucsdnews.ucsd.edu/newsrel/science/0408FinalEvolutionMatters.asp
Lectures are available in streaming video approx. 3 weeks after the
live presentation. Visit: http://ucsd.tv/evolutionmatters/archives.asp
as well as for air dates on UCSD-TV.
We gratefully acknowledge the generous support of our sponsors: Amylin Pharmaceuticals and Kirin Pharma.