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High School Biology Department: Lecture on the Science of Genes

September 28, 2020

On September 22, Professor Daru Lu, Vice Dean of the School of Life Sciences at Fudan University, brought a wonderful popular science lecture on genes: “The Science of Genes Benefits Mankind – Starting from Hemophilia in Royal Families” to SHSID students. The lecture was held in the Lecture Hall in Zhentao Building. During the lecture, Professor Lu revealed the secrets of genes vividly and made everything easy to understand.

Genes are the foundation of life and determine countless characteristics of organisms. What is the nature of genes? How do they affect biological characteristics? Changes of genes can lead to genetic diseases such as hemophilia, sickle cell anemia, and congenital scoliosis. The exploration of gene function enables people to understand causes of these genetic diseases, thus helping us find solutions. The increasingly mature gene technology provides people with the opportunity to detect potential pathogenic genes. The medical choice of the famous movie star Angelina Jolie made genetic testing more popular than ever. In addition, gene technology also plays an irreplaceable role in areas such as the detection of infectious disease pathogens and identification of criminal suspects. For example, the nucleic acid detection kit, a powerful tool for controlling the source of infection during the outbreak of COVID-19, is one of the many successful applications of gene technology. At present, research on the new coronavirus vaccine as well as its development and production also benefit from the rapid development of genetic engineering. Gene editing not only brings new hope for treating genetic diseases, but also contributes to the progress of scientific research and the improvement of quality of life. Genetically modified animals can be used as models to study diseases, providing valuable research materials for finding treatment options. Of course, such powerful gene technology can truly benefit human beings only if it is used correctly, while the application against ethics will bring disastrous consequences.

Professor Lu's profound knowledge, clear explanation, and a large number of interesting examples made students listen with interest. Students asked questions about the lecture from time to time and actively interacted with the professor. At the end of the lecture, some students wanted to know more about the topic and stayed to discuss with Professor Lu. Professor Lu patiently answered students' questions and praised their enthusiasm and interest in exploring life science.

(Written by Chengbo Zhou Pictures by Chengbo Zhou)