Scientific MOOCs follower. Author of Airpocalypse, a techno-medical thriller (Out Summer 2017)


Welcome to the digital era of biology (and to this modest blog I started in early 2005).

To cure many diseases, like cancer or cystic fibrosis, we will need to target genes (mutations, for ex.), not organs! I am convinced that the future of replacement medicine (organ transplant) is genomics (the science of the human genome). In 10 years we will be replacing (modifying) genes; not organs!


Anticipating the $100 genome era and the P4™ medicine revolution. P4 Medicine (Predictive, Personalized, Preventive, & Participatory): Catalyzing a Revolution from Reactive to Proactive Medicine.


I am an early adopter of scientific MOOCs. I've earned myself four MIT digital diplomas: 7.00x, 7.28x1, 7.28.x2 and 7QBWx. Instructor of 7.00x: Eric Lander PhD.

Upcoming books: Airpocalypse, a medical thriller (action taking place in Beijing) 2017; Jesus CRISPR Superstar, a sci-fi -- French title: La Passion du CRISPR (2018).

I love Genomics. Would you rather donate your data, or... your vital organs? Imagine all the people sharing their data...

Audio files on this blog are Windows files ; if you have a Mac, you might want to use VLC (http://www.videolan.org) to read them.

Concernant les fichiers son ou audio (audio files) sur ce blog : ce sont des fichiers Windows ; pour les lire sur Mac, il faut les ouvrir avec VLC (http://www.videolan.org).


Genomics. What does that tell us??

http://tx.english-ch.com/teacher/bien/others/family-genomics-links-dna-to-disease/
There are now 93 regions of the human genome that have been associated with schizophrenia...

"You might say, what is this telling us?
The answer is, we don't always know, but I'll tell you one thing-- four of those genes encode different subunits of exactly the same multi-protein complex that is a certain calcium channel in neurons.
That's not an accident.
That tells you in a way you would have never guessed.
And only genetics can tell you that particular L-type calcium channel-- four subunits there-- carry mutations, all of which are associated." 7.00x Intro to Biology- The Secret of Life


"It is up to about 47 genes that have been associated with hereditary risk of breast cancer. Some of them have weak effects.
They explain, oh, I don't know, about a 1/6 of the inheritance.
There are a bunch of strong mutations-- Mendelian-like forms-- they explain about a 1/6 so far. Together, they might explain about 1/3 so far. It's by no means done. But this is what's going on."


"A polygenic disease is a disease that is associated with mutations in more than one gene. For many polygenic diseases, the mutations associated with the disease do not directly result in a disease phenotype but are, instead, correlated with an increase in the risk of having the disease phenotype. " 

Eric Lander PhD, "Intro to Biology, the Secret of Life", MOOC MITx , June 2013.

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