Important BYU research debunks the idea of \"junk DNA\" <\/p>\n
The human body contains approximately 50 trillion cells whose length of DNA content compares to 528 million donuts wrapped around the earth 2,500 times. <\/p>\n
Until recently, scientists thought 95 percent of that DNA was junk and had no function. BYU microbiology professor Steven Johnson and one of his undergraduate assistants, Elliot Winters, participated in a worldwide collaborative research project, the ENCODE Projectconcluded 80 percent of a persons DNA does perform an important function. <\/p>\n
Its the culmination of this international consortium saying all this DNA that we thought didnt have a function actually has a function or has something going on, Johnson said. We dont know exactly what is going on, but its not just junk that is sitting there with no purpose. <\/p>\n
The collaborative research project, the ENCODE Project, provides a database of information to those performing genetic research. The research was published in Genome Research, and Johnson and Winters are listed as co-authors. <\/p>\n
[\/media-credit] Mentored research provides exceptional opportunities for BYU students <\/p>\n
We told them exactly how we wanted the cells prepared, and they sent them to us frozen, Johnson said. I taught my undergraduate student, Elliot Winters, this technique that Id developed. Over a course of about four months, we were able to get it to work just right and isolate just the DNA that we wanted to with the nucleosomes. <\/p>\n
Winters is not alone in doing mentored undergraduate research atBYU. According to the BYU website,the university gave $1.4 million to 71 faculty members specifically for projects involving undergraduates. Winters identifies his research experience as one of the most important parts of his BYU education. <\/p>\n
The reason I started doing it is because I wanted to strengthen my application for medical school, Winters said. Looking back on it, it was one of the most valuable parts of my education. <\/p>\n
Winters is only one of many students Johnson employs in his labs. Colton Kempton, a third-year masters student from Safford, Ariz., is currently working with Johnson on more DNA research related to gene therapy. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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