• Question: What exactly are transposons? Also, you said that you found a way to show people the pattern of mobile DNA in their genome (a bit like a DNA fingerprint!); what are you able to see from such data, what can you analyse from it?

    Asked by orsitovisi to Richard on 13 Jun 2011.
    • Photo: Richard Badge

      Richard Badge answered on 13 Jun 2011:

      Hi Orsitovisi,

      Transposons are little bits of DNA that move around – that’s to say they are not always in the same place in every person. In genetics we are used to the idea that the gene that is mutated in Cystic Fibrosis is always in the same place (about halfway down the long arm of chromosome 7), but transposons can move around so are not always in the same place in every person.

      Using this type of data we can tell where people come from, who they are related to, just like you can with a real (CSI style) DNA fingerprint!

      Richard

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