Biology of Genomes

The Human Genome sequencing project was a major conceptual breakthrough and paved the way for genomic work in many other fields. It also led to new technologies that have reduced the costs of DNA sequencing more than 50 000-fold in the last ten years. For biology the possibility to sequence genomes for essentially every species allows unprecedented ways to explore the evolution of life and human health.

These developments are currently revolutionizing biological and medical research and will lead to applications with great impact on individuals and societies. While their existential and ethical consequences for the individual and society will be dramatic, these are by no means being sufficiently discussed. The CAS Research Focus "Biology of Genomes" addresses these issues and explores how this field is transforming biology and society under the conditions of our so-called 'postgenomic era'.

Spokesperson

• Prof. Dr. Martin Parniske
  (Fakultät für Biologie, Genetik, LMU)

Working Group

• Prof. Dr. Peter Becker
  (Biomedizinische Centrum München, LMU)
• Prof. Dr. Monika Betzler
  (Fakultät für Philosophie, Wissenschaftstheorie und Religionswissenschaft, LMU)
• Prof. Dr. Francesca Biagini
  (Mathematisches Institut, LMU)
• Dr. Andreas Brachmann
  (Fakultät für Biologie, Genetik, LMU)
• Prof. Dr. Barbara Conradt
  (Fakultät für Biologie, Zell- und Entwicklungsbiologie, LMU)
• Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Enard
  (Fakultät für Biologie, Zell- und Entwicklungsbiologie, LMU)
• Prof. Dr. Peter Falkai
  (Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, LMU)
• Prof. Dr. Nicolas Gompel
  (Fakultät für Biologie, Evolutionary Ecology, LMU)
• Dr. Alexander Kohlmaier
  (Fakultät für Biologie, Genetik, LMU)
• Prof. Dr. Thomas Meitinger
  (Institute of Human Genetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München)
• Dr. Klaus F. X. Mayer
  (Plant Genome and Systems Biology, Helmholtz Zentrum München)
• Prof. Dr. Kärin Nickelsen
  (Historisches Seminar, Wissenschaftsgeschichte, LMU)
• Prof. Dr. Susanne Renner
  (Fakultät für Biologie, Systematische Botanik und Mykologie, LMU)
• Prof. Dr. Thomas G. Schulze
  (Institut für Psychiatrische Phänomik und Genomik, LMU)
• Prof. Dr. Claus Schwechheimer
  (Plant Systems Biology, TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan)

Events

• Lecture by Prof. Dr. Maria Kronfeldner – "The Nature/Culture Divide in the Postgenomic Era"
  (Sommersemester 2016)
• Lecture by Prof. Dr. Bärbel Friedrich und Dr. Patrick Hsu – "Editing the Human Genome with CRISPR? Chances and Risks of a Groundbreaking-Method "
  (Sommersemester 2016)
• Panel discussion – "Perspektiven der Synthetischen Biologie für die Biotechnologie und Medizin"
  (PDF 75 KByte)
  (Wintersemester 2016/17)
• International workshop – "Many Methods – One Biology?"
  (Wintersemester 2016/17)
• International workshop – "Evolution of Regulatory Networks"
  (Sommersemester 2017)
• Lecture by Yamini Dalal, Ph.D. – "Twisting the Dragon's Tail: A Voyage into Uncharted Histone Territories"
  (Sommersemester 2017)
• International workshop – "Evolution of Biological Traits"
  (Sommersemester 2017)
• Lecture by Prof. Dr. Silke Robatzek – "Cellular Basis of Immunity"
  (Wintersemester 2017/18)
• Lecture by Prof. Dr. Dietram Scheufele – "Human Genome Editing: Who Gets to Decide?"
  (Wintersemester 2017/18)
• Panel discussion – "Die Pocken sind zurück - Lassen sich die Risiken von synthetisierten Virenstämmen kontrollieren?"
  (Wintersemester 2017/18)
• Panel discussion – "Der gläserne Mensch: Versprechen und Risiko der Genomsequenzierung"
  (Wintersemester 2017/18)