The Genealogy of Genes

We almost had a full house for our monthly meeting on Tuesday, February 15, which was attended by a total of 52 people, including 20 non-members! The audience listened to Medardo Monzon’s presentation “The Genealogy of Genes”, a fascinating story about the discovery of DNA.  Using simple props and historic photographs, Medardo explained what DNA is, and how the puzzle of this remarkable molecule was solved. He also described the different types of DNA genetic testing, and showed how his own DNA test results encapsulate the story of human migration. Finally, he explained how COVID-19 mRNA vaccines teach our cells how to make a protein that triggers an immune response inside our bodies, without entering the nucleus of the cell where our DNA is located. Thank you very much for a great presentation, Medardo!