This section examines the many facets of gene therapy: what it is, how it works, and some of the serious ethical issues it raises. The second of three polling stations prompts visitors to explore their thoughts about choosing and changing geneshow much do we want to know, and how much do we want to control?
You may be born with your genes, but that doesn't mean you can't change them. Fixing genetic malfunctions by repairing "flaws" in the DNA codeusing a technique called gene therapyis no longer science fiction.
A small device called a microarray is revolutionizing genomic research and the practice of medicine. Scientists use this glass chip to compare tens of thousands of genes in a matter of seconds.
Resembling a stained-glass window, the microarray display actually demonstrates how scientists analyze a human DNA sampleand, in this instance, detect cells containing cancer.