A University of Manchester professor and his wife have had their own Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) analysed for compatibility as part of the research for a new book out next week, Thursday, August 29.
Professor Daniel Davis and his
wife Katie’s experience have been documented in ‘The Compatibility Gene,’
published by Penguin, which discusses how crucial compatibility genes may
influence finding a life partner as well as your health and individuality.
According to Professor Davis each
person, possesses a similar set of around 25,000 human genes.
“Some of our genes vary from person to person, like those that
give us a particular eye or hair colour. But my book is about the few genes –
our compatibility genes – that vary the most between each of us. First and
foremost these are immune system genes; they control how we combat disease. But
recent research shows that they may be even more important than we once thought
– there is evidence that they can influence how our brains are wired, how
attractive we are, even how likely we are to reproduce,” he said.
Additionally, he explained that
he has been used to writing academic papers looking at particular cells and
genes but decided to write this book to highlight the wonder of this new
research by taking stock of the big picture and making this fascinating new science
accessible to everyone.
The book, he said, explains how
research has radically transformed knowledge of the way human bodies work; with
profound consequences for medical research and ethics. The story begins with a
small band of scientific pioneers who, during the Second World War, struggled
to understand the mysteries of transplants and grafts.
The book, thus continues to the Swiss zoologist who had people
rank the sexiness of smells from worn T-shirts - and found the results related
to our compatibility genes.
“Very recent experiments discussed in the book show that these
same genes may also influence the likelihood of problems in pregnancy,” he
said.
Professor Davis, Director of
Research at the University of Manchester's Collaborative Centre for
Inflammation Research, noted that finding out more about his and his wife’s
genetic make-up had been a surprisingly nerve-wracking experience.
DigitalSENSE
Business News gathered that the couple had their saliva sent to the Anthony
Nolan Trust; a charity-based in United Kingdom (UK) that helps in match
transplantation donors and recipients.
“The tubes were bar- coded and
shuffled down a series of robotic instruments that first isolated the DNA and
then made copies of our compatibility genes,” Professor Davis said. “Small
beads, each having a different short piece of DNA attached, were added to a
solution containing our genes. Beads with DNA just right to bind to one of our
compatibility genes are picked out by a sensor, revealing which versions of
these genes we have.”
Professor Davis discovered his
compatibility genes were quite rare, while his wife’s were more common. One
group of his genes were frequently found in Europe, particularly Eastern
Europe, while the other set were common in India or Australia. His wife found
she had a gene which would be helpful if she ever suffered an infection with
HIV but which also increased her susceptibility to the auto-immune disease
ankylosing spondylitis.
“It’s not that any of my
individual genes are unusual, but the combination of them is rare because they
are usually found in different parts of the world. After being pleased that my
genes were quite rare - which according to those smelly T-shirt experiments
would mean lots of women would like my scent - I then realised this might not
be so useful if I ever needed a transplant. In fact the advice they gave me
was: Just don’t get ill!,” he said.
So does the book reveal the
perfect set of genes? Professor Davis concludes: “Overall, nobody has a better
or worse set of compatibility genes: there’s no hierarchy in the system. The
fact that we differ is what’s important; the way our species has evolved to
survive disease requires us to be different.”
So, what does this tell you about the gene of your life partner?
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