Did you know that your entire DNA – or genome – is the same as 99.9 percent of the people around you? It’s that 0.1 percent difference that makes you unique.
Learn more about the human genome at the Rochester Art Center when “Genome: Unlocking Life’s Code” opens on June 23 in Rochester, Minnesota. This unique exhibit originally debuted in 2013 at the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History in Washington D.C. Since then, it has taken up residence in cities throughout the country as a traveling exhibit.
Understanding more about what is in your genome can help you take charge of your health, and Mayo Clinic is dedicated to advancing genomics awareness and education in the community. Mayo Clinic is the first academic medical center to sponsor the exhibit.
“By learning what genomics is and how it is being applied to wellness and health care, the community will benefit by having a better understanding of the relevance of genomics in their lives and see first-hand how it relates to health and disease,” explains Timothy Curry, M.D., Ph.D., education program director at the Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine. “This is an opportunity for visitors to learn how genomics can affect their perspectives about health, identity, and their place in the natural world. They can see themselves in a new way: as an individual, as a member of a family, and as part of the diversity of life on Earth.”
“Genome: Unlocking Life’s Code” is a two-year collaboration between the Smithsonian Museum and the National Institutes of Health. By using media interactives, 3D models, custom animation, and real-life stories, visitors to the Rochester Art Center will learn what a genome is, how it affects health, and the benefits and challenges it presents to modern society. They will also see how art and science intersect through a variety of photographs and artistic renderings that explore DNA and genetic conditions.
“Genome: Unlocking Life’s Code” runs from June 23 to September 21 at the Rochester Art Center. For more information, click here.