1130th General Monthly Meeting
Humanity's Future - Understanding our Genome
Professor John Shine
Executive Director, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Chair, NHMRC and Vice
President, Australian Academy of Science
Date: Wednesday, 13th, October 2004
Time: 7:00 pm
Venue: Conference Room 1, Darlington Centre, University of Sydney (City Road,
behind the Forum Restaurant)
Completion of the human genome sequence has changed forever concepts of pharmaceutical development and preventative medicine, providing rapidly growing insight into the nature - nurture debate. The parallel sequencing of bacterial and viral genomes is also providing powerful new tools in the ongoing war against ever changing infectious agents.
Similarly, progress in stem cell biology is fuelling hopes of cell based therapies to reverse a range of degenerative conditions and improve our quality of life.
Together these advances are leading to a future where the emphasis is on the "individualisation" of prevention and treatment, based on both genetic makeup and environmental circumstances.
While this exciting science will underpin and greatly accelerate future developments in virtually all areas of medicine, it is also leading to a sense that humanity is at the threshold of reworking its own biology, of controlling its own evolution - a concept that troubles many in the community.
The Guest Speaker for the meeting will be Professor John Shine AO, Executive Director, Garvan Institute of Medical Research and Professor of Molecular Biology at the University of NSW, Chairman of the National Health and Medical Research Council, a Vice President of the Australian Academy of Science and an Officer in the Order of Australia.
Professor Shine obtained his PhD from the Australian National University in 1975. During the course of his PhD studies he discovered the sequences in ribosomal RNA (now listed in biology text-books as the "Shine-Dalgarno" sequence) responsible for the initiation and termination of protein-synthesis.
At the University of California from 1975-1978, Professor Shine was instrumental in the development of many of the techniques of genetic engineering. He was the first to clone a human hormone gene and was a central figure in the cloning of the insulin and growth hormone genes. He also determined the first sequence responsible for replication of a cancer causing virus.
Back at the ANU in 1978, he was responsible for cloning the endorphin gene (the body's natural morphine) and was the first to demonstrate that hormone genes cloned in bacteria could be expressed in a biologically active form.
In early 1984, Professor Shine left the ANU to take up a joint position as an Adjunct Professor of Medicine at UCSF and Director of Research of a newly formed biotech company, California Biotechnology Inc. He was appointed President of the company in 1986 and guided it from a staff of some 15 scientists in 1984 to over 200 in 1987. The company, now Scios, was sold to Johnson and Johnson in 2003 for ~$3.5 billion.
Upon his return to Australia, he was appointed Chairman of the Biotechnology Committee of the Industry Research & Development Board and as the inaugural President of the Australian National Genome Information Centre at the University of Sydney in 1992. In 1998, he was elected president of the Association of Australian Medical Research Institutes and from 2000-2003 was Chairman of the Australian Genome Research Facility.
Professor Shines current research interests are centred on the application of molecular genetics to an understanding of the generation of functional diversity in the nervous system. His recent research achievements have involved the cloning and functional characterisation of several neurotransmitter/neuropeptide receptors, including the dopamine, adenosine, neuropeptide Y and galanin receptors.
Report on the General Monthly Meeting
The Guest Speaker for the meeting was Professor John Shine AO, Executive Director, Garvan Institute of Medical Research and Professor of Molecular Biology at the University of NSW, Chairman of the National Health and Medical Research Council, a Vice President of the Australian Academy of Science and an Officer in the Order of Australia.
50 members and their guests attended the talk by Professor Shine spoke on the biological revolution brought to us by the burgeoning work being done on the human genome. It will affect many areas of our lives. Our health, the economy and the food we eat. He maintained that one cannot ignore truth and knowledge once it comes to light and that it is impossible for us to go back to "the good old days". With short life expectancies and diseases like polio, septicaemia and unchecked heart disease, he made the point that it's debatable just how "good" the old days were.
The Human Genome Project, the systematic mapping of our 50,000 genes is revolutionising medicine. The DNA inside the cells of our bodies if strung together into one chain would reach to the Moon and back 8,000 times! Much has been made of the 98% of our genes which are identical in Chimpanzees. And each human being shares 99.9% of their genes with the rest of humanity.
Shine made the point that we are moving from discovering genes to an era where our genetic knowledge will allow us to individualise treatments for patients with particular needs. More importantly, new genetic research tools are creating a paradigm shift in medical research away from hypotheses and towards discovery-based methods made possible by silicon chip gene tests. These changes are already taking place.
The Human Genome Project is revolutionising our response to infectious disease, Shine said. Since bacteria and viruses are only a few thousand genes, it was possible for us to completely sequence and develop a test for SARS in only a couple of months. This allowed us to contain the disease much more effectively than would have been possible even ten years ago. While we will never win the war against infectious diseases, Professor Shine believes we will win more of the battles.
Having discussed stem cell work, Professor Shine concluded on a philosophical note. He asked of those who still feel uncomfortable about genetic advances "What are we really afraid of?" He maintained it was inevitable that we will change our internal biological environment. But he admitted that this proposition troubles many people because it may change our sense of who we are and that for many their biggest fear about genetic research is losing control of humanity's future. For him though, the benefits simply outweigh the uncertainties. Where would we be, he argued, if we hadn't embraced the development of vaccines?
A vigorous question time ensued and more than twenty members of the audience enjoyed dinner with the speaker in Newtown.