Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — What makes you so special?
It turns out Utah families are quite special when it comes to genetic research, according to the latest Natural History Museum exhibit. The traveling Smithsonian exhibit "Genome: Unlocking Life’s Code" examines the basics behind DNA and genomes.
The museum added a local twist by sharing ways Utah families have contributed to genetic research.
“Since the 1950s, Utah has been a hub of genetic research because of the amazing families that we have here. They’re kind of absolutely perfect for doing genetic research,” said Lisa Thompson, exhibit developer at the museum.
Utah has among the largest family sizes in the country, Thompson said. Not only are the family groups large, but often have well-researched genealogy and are willing to participate in genetic studies.
“Apparently this does not happen in other places," she said. "It’s very strange and absolutely perfect if you need to do genetic research.”
Such a large sample size led to developing the Utah Population Database, which contains records of 8 million people in Utah family histories. Developed at the University of Utah, the database is a world-renowned resource for information and research of genetics and public health.
The information is used for biomedical and health-related research. The database has also contributed to discovering 30 disease-causing genes including colon cancer, breast cancer, melanoma and cardiac arrhythmia, according to the University of Utah Health Care website.
“That’s the magic combination,” Thompson said. “You understand the genealogies, you can see the family structures, and then with the health records, you can start to detect the way the diseases are moving through the families.”
The exhibit also features stories about Utah families with genetic diseases.
Emily Scalley’s family has a genetic disease called Lynch syndrome, a hereditary disorder that increases the risk of many types of cancer, particularly colon cancer.
“This was heavy,” Scalley said about learning she had Lynch syndrome.
Scalley’s father passed away from cancer due to the syndrome, and four out of five of her siblings have the genetic disease. Her five children have a 50-50 chance of inheriting the disorder, she said.
Despite this, Scalley maintains a hopeful outlook.
“We feel like we’re ahead of the game,” she said. “It gives you a more positive, optimistic look at it to see there are so many researchers and physicians doing amazing things to try and stay ahead of the game.”
Genetic research can lead to precise medical treatment based on individual genomes. Scalley is hopeful these types of treatments will benefit her family in the future.
The exhibit opens Saturday and runs through Sept. 5, and features hands-on and digital interactive activities for visitors.
“It’s really remarkable that people here seem to be incredibly generous and understand that a genetic discovery made about them will not only benefit themselves and their family but potentially thousands of other people,” Thompson said.
Mark Young volunteers at the cheek swab extraction table. Using salt, dish soap, rubbing alcohol, saliva and a couple of test tubes, visitors can construct visible white clumps and strings of their own DNA.
“People do all sorts of fun things here, so it is really rewarding and a heck of a lot of fun,” Young said.
