Wednesday Talk: October 1, 10am-12pm – hybrid
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October 1, 2025 @ 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Larry Moran, Biochemistry, U of T
Title: “What’s in Your Genome?”
Introducer: Jim Gurd
Abstract: Scientists have been studying the human genome for more than 70 years but today
there is considerable controversy about what’s in our genome. The publication of the complete
sequence of the human genome in 2001 did nothing to resolve the controversy. For many
scientists, the data confirmed their predictions that we have about 30,000 genes and most of our
genome is useless junk DNA. Other scientists were shocked to learn that we have so few genes
so they began the search for other explanations. Today, the majority of molecular biologists and
biochemists believe that most of our genome is functional and there may be as many as 100,000
extra genes that weren’t identified in 2001. The majority of experts in molecular evolution
disagree —they believe that 90% of our genome is junk DNA. I will summarize the data from
both sides of the controversy and discuss the role that science journalism has played in
misrepresenting scientific discoveries about the human genome.
Bio: Larry Moran graduated from Carleton University with a B.Sc. in biology. He completed a
Ph.D. in biochemistry with Bruce Alberts at Princeton University in 1974. From there he went
on to a postdoc with Alfred Tissières at the University of Geneva in Switzerland where he
participated in the cloning of some of the first eukaryotic genes to be isolated. He joined the
Department of Biochemistry at the University of Toronto in 1978 where his main research
interests were the regulation of gene expression and molecular evolution. Professor Moran is the
author of a leading biochemistry textbook for undergraduates and he recently published a book
on “What’s in Your Genome.” He has been an active participant on social media for more than
35 years and writes a blog called “Sandwalk.”
The link to register is https://forms.office.com/r/7bgbkgf0uH
The deadline to register is the Monday before the event at noon. The Zoom link will be sent to registrants only.
