More than human

From a single, blurry image to the iconic double helix that reshaped biology, DNA has become the ultimate symbol of what makes us human. But the truth is messier, stranger, and far more interesting.
In this talk, we’ll trace the story of DNA from its dramatic discovery to what it actually does inside our cells. Along the way, we’ll uncover why your genetic code isn’t a fixed blueprint, how it’s constantly being copied, rebuilt and repackaged by molecular machines, and why most of your DNA doesn’t code for genes at all. This is a story about science, history, and our search to uncover the secret life of DNA - revealing the surprising limits of what it can tell us about ourselves.

Have you ever felt like you're not entirely yourself? Scientifically speaking, that’s true: we share our bodies with trillions of microorganisms. When we think about the human microbiome, bacteria usually get most of the attention. But what about the viruses? In this talk, we will explore the largely unknown world of the human virome. These microscopic entities are not just the bad guys that make us sick, many are actually part of our internal ecosystem. We will also look behind the scenes of microbiome research and see how bioinformatics helps scientists make sense of this tiny, complex world. Grab a pint and get ready to meet your microscopic tenants!