Ian Dunham on Gene Patenting
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Gene Patenting (Ian Dunham)
Ian Dunham Biography
I'm not a lawyer. I've heard many talks that explain how genes can be patented. But I look at it that a gene is a discovery, it's not an invention. It's always been there. And I would argue that you can't patent genes, but lawyers argue differently.
Working at the Sanger Centre, Dunham heads the team, which sequenced human chromosome 22. He is interested in uses of human chromosome 22 as a model system for genomic analysis. Chromosome 22 represents about 1% of the whole genome but is a relatively gene rich chromosome. As such it is a tractable model system for a number of genome-wide studies.
Dunham's initial work was in comprising physical maps in yeast artificial chromosomes (YACs) to produce an extensive YAC map, which served as the backbone for future production of the DNA sequence.
From 1996-1999 he focused on bringing the sequencing of human chromosome 22 to completion. This was achieved with the publication of the completed sequence and its analysis (Dunham et al. 1999). At the same time the group was responsible for establishing a benchmark level of gene annotation on the sequence. Currently chromosome 22 represents the best-annotated region of the human genome, and provides an excellent model system to develop functional genomic approaches. He was the leader of the consortium of four sequencing groups and numerous collaborators.
His team's future research interests build on the knowledge of human chromosome 22 as a defined subset of the human genome to develop approaches to studying gene expression and networks at the mRNA and protein level. These include microarray expression analysis, cloning of tagged genes and expression of their proteins, development of phage antibody resources, and study of protein intracellular localization.
Dunham was formerly a Research Fellow and a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Guys Campus in London.
The BBC interviewed Dunham:
Computer modeling suggests there may be as many as 1,000 genes on chromosome 22, but even this is but a small fraction of the estimated 60,000 to 100,000 genes in our cells.
Human disorders "One down, the others to go," said Ian Dunham, a biochemist at the Sanger Centre in Cambridge, UK, and lead author on the scientific paper in the journal Nature that announces the genetics landmark. "It's a great relief to have it finished."
Mutations to genes along chromosome 22 contribute to heart defects, immune system disorders, cancers, and mental retardation. A gene linked to schizophrenia is also thought to reside somewhere on chromosome 22.
Sequencing Chromosome 22
The Development of PCR
Cooperating Across Borders
International Collaboration in the HGP
Leaders of the Genome Project
Future Research Goals
Interpreting the Human Genome
Genome Meetings at CSHL
SCIENTISTS SPEAKING ABOUT GENE PATENTING
Nicholas Wade
Bruce Alberts Michael Ashburner David Bentley David Botstein Elbert Branscomb Aravinda Chakravarti Francis Collins Charles Delisi Ian Dunham Richard Gibbs Philip Green Eric Green Leroy Hood James Kent Aaron Klug Eric Lander Peter Little Maynard Olson Ari Patrinos Ulf Pettersson Matt Ridley Bruce Roe Gerald Rubin Nicoletta Sacchi Fred Sanger Hamilton Smith John Sulston Nicholas Wade Robert Waterston James Wyngaarden