• Question: are you working in any experiment that could have an important result or that maybe could change certain things?

    Asked by 288dagk27 to Hugh, James, Katherine, Matt, Shannon on 17 Nov 2017.
    • Photo: Katherine Benson

      Katherine Benson answered on 17 Nov 2017:


      Absolutely, as part of my job, I run experiments where I read people’s DNA using machines called ‘sequencers’. This is the equivalent of reading their DNA like a book. I then look through the DNA and try to find out what changes in that DNA are unusual and might be causing their disease. These experiments can be very important and change the lives of the patients I’m sequencing. A lot of these patients have really rare brain or ‘neurological’ diseases that they and their doctor do not know the cause of. By finding the change in their DNA that’s causing their disease, it can help them because now they know exactly what is wrong with them. That can help them, their doctor and their family to deal with the disease in a new way.

Comments