B2DG BIONews and video- BEYOND INHERITANCE – We are all Genetic Mosaics.
Details
Join B2DG members and guests for our May evening meeting on May 12 at 6:15PM as we cover updated Weekly BIONews followed by a video entitled: BEYOND INHERITANCE – We are all Genetic Mosaics.
Roxanne Khamsi
Medical Correspondent, The Atlantic
Eric Topol and Roxanne Khamsi explore how our trillions of cells acquire, on average, a new mutation daily—a concept known as "genetic mosaicism."These somatic mutations drive "endoevolution," impacting health and disease. The discussion emphasizes that we are constantly evolving at a cellular level, which profoundly influences our health beyond the DNA we inherit at conception
Key Concepts from the Discussion:
- Beyond Inheritance: While inherited genes are significant, Khamsi argues that the mutations our cells acquire throughout our lives—the somatic mutations—are equally critical for understanding health and diseases.
- The Mosaic Body: Our bodies are not uniform, but rather a "mosaic" of cells with differing genetic codes, resulting in trillions of mutations per day throughout the body's ~37 trillion cells.
- Endoevolution: A process of "Darwinian selection" occurs internally, where certain mutated cells outcompete others (cellular competition), a concept linked to Wilhelm Roux’s 1881 work The Struggle of Parts.
- Environmental Impact: Factors like UV light, pollution, and plastics can accelerate these somatic mutations.
- Significance of Single-Cell Technology: Advancements in single-cell sequencing allow scientists to see these cellular mutations more clearly, shedding light on cancer development and aging.
Date/Time:
May 12, 2026
6:15 pm - 8:15 pm PDT
Zoom talk: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83593256859
Meeting Leader:
Harry Wachob, PhD
President, BIO2Device Group