Pääbo-17/8 Final questions

Salut Emilie!

You have witnessed big progresses in biotechnologies during your career, for example with the PCR which gives better results than cloning with plasmid vectors. Do you believe that as of today PCR is the best method to amplify DNA or that it will be replaced by faster and more precise biotechnologies in the future?

During your research, you often spent a lot of time on one specific aspect (for example reducing contamination as much as possible): what gave you the motivation to continue despite the hurdles that you were faced with ? And now that you have achieved your goal, what is your new objective ?

What did you gain from this experience as a writer for lay people on a personal and professional level? If you had to do it again, would you do it?

When do you know that it is finally time to end a given research and publish your results?

Why did you use the nuclear DNA and not the mitochondrial DNA? What is the difference between both of them?

If you would have to do the same project again today, what would you change? (technical changes, proceedings, contact with people...)

How do you react to critics of some scientifics? (multiregionalists, paleontologists)

How do contaminations occur precisely? Can some be negligible , in case of a doubt or Is there a threshold? How can the Neanderthal DNA be contaminated despite the protection in a Cleanroom? How can one be sure that no contamination has taken place?

Have you found single-nucleopolymorphism (SNP) between different genomes of neanderthalian? Are they located in the same position as in the human genomes?

What is the future of human DNA sequencing in the field of medicine, biology, pharmaceutics,etc.? How might the sequencing of the Neanderthal DNA affect the research of human DNA? In which fields have these studies already been used and where could they potentially be used?

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1) « David a ensuite conçu avec beaucoup de soin des amorces qui amplifieraient l'ADNmt des hommes de Neandertal mais pas celui des humains d'aujourd'hui »

How do you synthesis primers which are specific for the neanderthal mitochondrial DNA? We know how to synthesis primers but how do you render them specific to the neanderthal mitochondrial DNA?

How and why does the primer bind specifically with the mitochondrial DNA and not with human mitochondrial DNA, although you are searching for similarities between these two species?
How long does it take you to synthesis a primer?

2) « Quand se constituent les ovules et les spermatozoïdes, une mitochondrie va à l'occasion se briser, et des fragments de son ADN finiront dans le noyau de la cellule. Là, des mécanismes de réparation efficaces reconnaissent les extrémités des brins et les joignent à d'autres extrémités d'ADN, qui peuvent exister s'il se trouve que le génome nucléaire, lui aussi, a été rompu. »
How often does a mitochondrion break and it’s DNA fragments find themselves in the human genome? In other words, what is the probability?
In your book, you talk about a system that automatically repairs the DNA which has fragments of mitochondrial DNA in it. What is this system? How does it function? Is it possible to further research in this domain in order to cure different illnesses such as cancer?

3) During your research did you trace back other species just as you did for the Siberian mammoth?

4) Would genome comparison allow us to further our research concerning the relationship between the gene and it's function? If possible, could we consider using this knowledge in hopes of someday genetically modifying the human body for different benefits? (Transhumanismus)

5) What do you concretely think of your work? If you had the possibility to restart your research, which aspects would you improve and which mistakes would you try to avoid. How would you do it?

6) What advice would you give us to help us succeed in the field of research?

7)What techniques do you think are needed to be developed or improved for us to trace life further back in time?

8)When do you think you will stop research?

9)Do you think that the field of research has limits?

FUN QUESTIONS 10)As a child did biology interest you a lot?

11)Do you think that we are alone in the universe?

12)Do you think that someday we will discover so much on earth that there will be nothing left for us discover?

13)Did you have good grades in school and what where your strenghts?

Hope that we won’t kill you with all this questions!

Love from Rousseau!