Can we change our genes? It’s a question that’s fuelled decades of superhero stories, but geneticist Giles Yeo is here to explain what’s true, what’s hype and what’s already happening in real medicine.
In this lively, myth-busting talk, he explores how gene therapy works and why scientists have traditionally used viruses as delivery vehicles, not the scary, infectious kind, but carefully engineered versions designed to do one job: help insert healthy genetic material where it’s needed.
Along the way, he reveals a genuinely mind-blowing fact: a small but significant chunk of the human genome is made up of remnants of ancient viral infections. Fascinating, funny and brilliantly clear, this is a reassuring introduction to the science of changing genes and why it’s far more controlled (and less Hollywood) than you might think.
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