DNA MATTERS exhibition

DNA MATTERS Exhibition

Last night we opened the DNA Matters exhibition in the main hall of Erasmus MC, Rotterdam. I’m proud to have closely collaborated with André Uitterlinden and Annemieke Verkerk the last year to make this exhibition on DNA research in Rotterdam since the 1960s up to today and into the future.

“Humans differ enormously from each other. Not only in the way we look, but also our character and what diseases we develop. We have learned over the past century that many of these differences find their origin in the DNA sequence.

“The last 70 years have seen enormous leaps in DNA research and analysis techniques. Inventions have unraveled the hidden code of life in the nucleus of cells: from visualising whole chromosomes to DNA base-pairs; from mapping genes on the chromosome and searching for single gene mutations, to analysing all 3.3 billion base-pairs of the human genome in a single experiment.

“The rapid development of possibilities for genetic screening, forces people to think about new, urgent questions: would you undergo a DNA scan that can check whether you carry variations that could increase your risk of serious disease?

“This exhibition shows parts of the research on DNA, and in particular DNA variations, from the 1960s up to today. How has genetic research developed in Rotterdam? And how is Rotterdam shaping genetics and healthcare in the future?”

The exhibit is located in the main hall of Erasmus MC and free to visit from 22 November 2023 to mid January 2024.