Ideas worth spreading

The era of personal DNA testing is here

1,221,039 views |

Sebastian Kraves |

TED@BCG Paris

• May 2016

From improving vaccines to modifying crops to solving crimes, DNA technology has transformed our world. Now, for the first time in history, anyone can experiment with DNA at home, in their kitchen, using a device smaller than a shoebox. We are living in a personal DNA revolution, says biotech entrepreneur Sebastian Kraves, where the secrets buried in DNA are yours to find.

From improving vaccines to modifying crops to solving crimes, DNA technology has transformed our world. Now, for the first time in history, anyone can experiment with DNA at home, in their kitchen, using a device smaller than a shoebox. We are living in a personal DNA revolution, says biotech entrepreneur Sebastian Kraves, where the secrets buried in DNA are yours to find.

Enroll today in an MIT EdX course in DNA and Molecular Biology! It's virtual and free.

Get started with hands-on DNA analysis in your kitchen!

About the speaker

Sebastian Kraves

Sebastian Kraves

Biotech entrepreneur

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Sebastian Kraves wants to bring DNA science to more people in new places.

Andrew Niccol | Columbia Pictures, 1997 | Watch

Made in 1997 (before the Human Genome Project!), this futuristic film offers a dystopian view of our DNA crisscrossed society. 'A genetically inferior man assumes the identity of a superior one in order to pursue his lifelong dream of space travel.' While you may not dream of becoming an astronaut, bioethical concerns surround the availability of cheap DNA analysis for everyone, and this film does a great job of putting those issues on the table. Plus it's the only film I know of with Jude Law, Uma Thurman, and Ethan Hawke!

James D. Watson | Touchstone, 2001 | Book

The Double Helix

If you're curious about DNA, you can't avoid this book. It's the personal account of Watson and Crick’s (and Rosalind Franklin's!) groundbreaking discovery of the structure of DNA. By identifying the structure of DNA, these scientists revolutionized the world and won themselves a Nobel Prize. Also unavoidable for DNA geeks is the short, elegant, approachable Nature paper in which they described their findings (Molecular Structure of Nucleic Acids).

Bruce Alberts et al., | Garland Science, 2014 | Book

Molecular Biology of the Cell

The 'Bible' of molecular biology, now in its 6th edition. 'Nuff said ...

Charles Darwin | Cosimo Classics, 2008 | Book

The Voyage of the Beagle

My grandmother gave me this book when I was 12, and it transformed my worldview. I really was more of a computer geek at that age, and didn't care much for living things, but was so compelled by this book that I decided I wanted to be a biologist! Darwin transformed our understanding of life on Earth it with his theory of evolution, and much of the basis for it was his research during the five-year journey he took as a 22-year-old on the HMS Beagle, which sailed South America and the South Pacific from 1831 to 1836. His trip included prolonged exploration of Patagonia in my native Argentina, as well as Darwin's celebrated visit to the Galapagos islands.

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About TED Institute

Every year, TED works with a group of select companies and foundations to identify internal ideators, inventors, connectors, and creators. Drawing on the same rigorous regimen that has prepared speakers for the TED main stage, TED Institute works closely with each partner, overseeing curation and providing intensive one-on-one talk development to sharpen and fine tune ideas. The culmination is an event produced, recorded, and hosted by TED, generating a growing library of valuable TED Talks that can spur innovation and transform organizations.

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Enroll today in an MIT EdX course in DNA and Molecular Biology! It's virtual and free.

Get started with hands-on DNA analysis in your kitchen!