Introduction to the Workshop
URLs Provided by Attendees

Abstracts

Mapping

Informatics

Sequencing

Instrumentation

Ethical, Legal, and Social Issues

Infrastructure

The electronic form of this document may be cited in the following style:
Human Genome Program, U.S. Department of Energy, DOE Human Genome Program Contractor-Grantee Workshop IV, 1994.

Abstracts scanned from text submitted for November 1994 DOE Human Genome Program Contractor-Grantee Workshop. Inaccuracies have not been corrected.

The Human Genome: Science and the Social Consequences

Charles Carlson, Randy Comer, Randall Fontes, Micah Garb, Glenn Gutleben, Anne Jennings, Mary Miller, Frank Millero, III
Exploratorium, 3601 Lyon St, San Francisco, CA 94123

The Exploratorium is embarking on a long-term commitment to increase public awareness of the Human Genome Project (HGP), the basic science of genetics, and related ethical, legal, and social issues. Our comprehensive multi-year proposal includes developing new exhibits, designing demonstrations, and creating a Genetics Pathway. In addition we are planning a lecture series directed specifically at social and ethical issues raised by the HGP and genetic technology. This lecture series will serve both as a public forum for discussion as well as a means of creating video records for inclusion in a free-standing exhibit. All aspects of the project involve collaborations with regional biotechnology firms, universities, and museums.

To date we have created twelve interactive genetics exhibits which are currently on display or in prototype form (Blood Typing, Cells, Dancing DNA, DNA: The Master Molecule, Genetic Characteristics, Marching Bands, Molecular Library, Protein Production Line, Sickling Cells, Simulated Movement, Tree of Life, Zebrafish Development). The new exhibits under development include: Challenges and Choices, Fruit Flies, Fungi, A Graphical Presentation of the Human Genome, Interactive History of the Automated Sequencer, Musical Mutants, Panning for DNA demonstration, and Reading DNA.

The final collection of exhibits and programs will address the concepts of DNA as the molecule of heredity, mutation, variation, and the relationship between genes and proteins. It will also focus on the HGP as an example of how basic research can result in practical applications and raise important social and ethical questions. We are meeting the challenge of presenting this complex and often foreign subject by exposing visitors to the phenomenon itself, through living and non-living biological experiments as well as mechanical and computer models. The exhibits will be enjoyed by more than 625,000 visitors annually, including 70,000 students on field trips and 500 teachers trained by the Teacher Institute and the School in the Exploratorium.

This work was funded by the DOE Genome Program (DE-FG03-93ER61583)