The Genome Geek Is In

the genome geek is in

SmithsonianNational Museum of Natural History

mDr. Belen Hurle National Institutes of Health (NIH) June 16th, 2013 I  am  a  busy  mother  of  two  who  likes  all  things  genetics  and  anything  edible.  I  am  fascinated  about  comparing  the  genomes  of  different  organisms  to  each  other  and  to  the  human  genome,  a  field  known  as  comparative  genomics.    I  like  to  think  that  I  discovered  a  gene  that  contributes  to  our  ‘sixth  sense.’  With  the  help  of  computational  tools,  I  have  traced  the  evolutionary  story  of  an  intriguing  family  of  genes  implicated  in  the  sense  of  balance  and  perception  of  gravity,  from  mouse  to  frog  to  fish  and  even  further  back  in  evolutionary  time.  It  is  important  to  study  the  biology  of  balance  because  balance  related  falls  account  for  half  of  accidental  deaths  in  persons  over  65,  thousands  of  hip  fractures  and  billions  of  dollars  in  medical  expense  very  year.  Detection  of  gravity  is  also  a  topic  of  interest  in  space  flight  research.  Come  see  me  to  learn  more!