Currently on tour, this original Koshland Science Museum exhibit outlines various ways DNA sequencing is being used today. Interactive displays allow visitors to investigate how inherited and infectious diseases are identified and the various uses of DNA analysis in criminal forensics and crop improvement.

Visitors are first given an overview of DNA, including a look at its structure, how scientists read its code, and where it is found. A panel with larger-than-life images of various living organisms compares the genetic make-up of humans with that of animals, fungi, and plants. In an adjacent interactive program, visitors randomly Probe the Sequence searching for specific patterns in one of the genes from the vast human genome, discovering that DNA is far from random as each gene uses a specific sequence to convey information.

The use of DNA in Diagnosing Disease is explored, detailing how scientists search for mutated genes that pass misinformation from one generation to another. Through a video testimonial, visitors learn the personal story of a family that used genetic testing to diagnose hemochromatosis (iron overload disease), improving the health of their child through early detection. Visitors can also examine gene sequences and identify the mutations responsible for diseases such as sickle cell anemia.

The use of DNA sequence analysis is also widespread in the field of criminal forensics. Through an in-depth interactive program, visitors investigate how law enforcement agents and lawyers use DNA fingerprinting and CODIS to Solve Crimes, identify criminals and exonerate the innocent. The Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) employed by the FBI uses 13 specific locations within the human genome to identify a suspect’s unique DNA fingerprint. Visitors are briefed on how to read these fingerprints and then challenged to identify the perpetrator of a fictional crime by comparing a genetic sample left at a crime scene with samples from three different suspects. The various sources of DNA evidence are also detailed – from blood and tears to skin and hair.

Visitors move from analyzing the DNA of humans to that of plants by reviewing How Reading Genes Can Improve Crops. The beginnings of agriculture and selective breeding 10,000 years ago are explored before the focus shifts to the most recent developments in genetic engineering. Using the corn plant as an example, visitors discover how various genes have affected the appearance of corn as it evolved from its ancestor, teosinte, through crop selection. Maps illustrate the huge leap in productivity of modern corn compared to teosinte, which would require almost 13 times more land to yield the same amount. Information panels also explore the future of crop breeding, detailing how much and where genetically modified crops are being grown.

From plants to diseases, DNA analysis is driving cutting-edge technology. A new tool, the microarray, illustrates How DNA Sequences Protect Public Health. Through a case study of the 2003 SARS outbreak, visitors track the race against time to identify the specific virus responsible for this new disease before it could become an epidemic. The microarray, a single glass slide that contains 11,000 DNA virus sequences from 1,000 known viruses, allowed scientists to identify the virus family to which SARS belongs in just 24 hours. Visitors can then examine an example of the kind of microarray, or “virus chip,” used to identify SARS as a coronavirus.

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Wonders of Science
Putting DNA to Work