Genetic legacy

As a recent father I find myself more and more concerned with the idea of legacy. What will I pass on to the next generation? What will I be remembered for? At the moment my daughter is perfectly happy for daddy to pull a funny face whilst blowing a raspberry - but will that really suffice as my offering to her future?

Yet, whatever we achieve in our lives, whatever possession it is that we are proudest to pass on - the real legacy is in our genes. This exquisitely precise, yet surprisingly resilient set of instructions tasked with conducting the orchestra of proteins and RNA in our cells is the ultimate hand-me-down.

All life forms (bar the odd virus that has evolved to be content with RNA at the helm) share one thing in common - we are all puppets with DNA tweaking our performance to suit its own needs like a master marionette.

And what of the molecule responsible for this puppetry? It is of course Deoxyribonucleic Acid - the polymeric nucleotide and sugar strands that bear the responsibility not only of function but also of heritability. Their double-helix form has become perhaps the most recognisable in modern science - a logo of the most beautiful and insightful kind.

DNA and the changes it orchestrates is the driving force in biological research today - in this issue alone we learn why the ability to engineer custom strands of DNA has allowed genomic research to come on leaps and bounds (p20); discover that conditions of the early Earth can be understood by reconstructing ancient enzymes from DNA (p5); find that modern forensics can get vital clues from the smallest of DNA fragments (p4) and learn that DNA sequencing is key to beating antibacterial resistance (p10).

Darwin taught us to look at speciation as a glorious tree of life - and as the geneticist and excellent populariser of science, Professor Steve Jones, recently highlighted it is indeed a tree of life, not a forest. It happened once - and blossomed into the cornucopia that we see today. Each of us carries deep within our DNA the genetic shadows of the earliest of our ancestors - and I can’t imagine a more inspiring legacy to hand on.

Each one of us is a new and unique experiment, yet also we irrevocably bear the heady weight of historical lineage - The ultimate re-branding exercise, the old reshuffled to form the new. Yet, with the everyday pressure that life brings, it is so easy to forget the testament to genetic legacy tucked away in our cells.

With this in mind we have lined up a little treat - what better way to remind yourself that you are part of this biological legacy - than to put this continuance of life in all its glory on your wall! Turn to page 24 to find out how you could win a beautiful artwork based entirely on your unique DNA.