“Gene Age” travelling lecture tour in 2022 – summary report
“Gene Age” is an accompanying travelling lecture series of the AV21 Strategy research programme “Towards precision medicine and gene therapy “
In December 2022, the Czech Centre for Phenogenomics (CCP) at the Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences organized a traveling series of lectures “The Gene Age” on the topic of gene function and their contribution to the functioning of the organism and the development of diseases. In total, 500 participants attended the event.
The lecture series was launched on 6 December 2022 at the National Museum in Prague with a seminar for patient organisations and the general public interested in rare diseases. This kick-off event was held in collaboration with the ASGENT (Gene Therapy Association), the Czech Association for Rare Diseases (CAVO) and the National Museum. Subsequently, lectures were held in science centres across the Czech Republic, namely on 13-14 December 2022 at the Great World of Technology in Ostrava, 15 December 2022 at the Fortress of Knowledge in Olomouc, 16 December 2022 at Vida! in Brno and 20 December 2022 at the Techmania Science Centre in Pilsen.
The two-hour lecture series was intended mainly for high school students and included the following popular-scientific lectures by experts of the Czech Centre for Phenogenomics:
- Genes – how they work and how they are controlled (Genes and the regulation of gene expression)
- Genetic diseases – causes and origins (Pathogenesis of genetic diseases)
- Gene therapy today and tomorrow (Current gene therapy options and future developments)
The event has received a positive response from both high schools and science centres, and we intend to continue it in 2023.
In September 2023, a panel exhibition will also be launched to explain the mysteries of DNA and human genetics in a simple and entertaining way. The travelling exhibition together with the website will introduce the general public to the basics of genetics and the DNA molecule in relation to rare genetic diseases, their diagnosis and possible treatments. The exhibition will visit seven cities in the Czech Republic over the course of 12 months.
The exhibition is jointly organized by the non-profit organization ASGENT and the Czech Centre for Phenogenomics at the Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences with the grant support of Erasmus+ (ASGENT) and the research program of the Strategy AV21 of the Czech Academy of Sciences “Towards precision medicine and gene therapy” (CCP).
Links:
Czech Centre for Phenogenomics – https://www.phenogenomics.cz/
Strategy AV21 – https://strategie.avcr.cz/
Research programme “Towards precision medicine and gene therapy“ – https://www.genova-terapie.cz/
Gene Age – https://dobagenova.asgent.org/
ASGENT – https://asgent.org/