An impressive new world
Luisa Pereira has spent more than two decades studying the Book of Life, the information contained in every one of our cells. It is in 82 volumes and weighs 450 kilograms. There are more than three million messages, in two versions – one from mother and one from father – that define who each of us is and what we are to convey. It is also a reference for the history of the development of the human species.
Human geneticist responsible for i3S Cancer ProgramIn Porto, he studies genes in search of answers about humanity's distant past, but also to improve the prevention and treatment of complex diseases such as cancer.
Or diseases like dengue fever, to which European populations are more susceptible than African populations, for example.
In Africa we find the greatest genetic diversity on the planet. Because it is there that the human race has remained for two-thirds of its existence.
In this episode, Luisa Pereira explains how a better understanding of the genetic diversity of populations can open doors to disease prevention and treatment. It also speaks about what reveals the great genetic wealth of the Portuguese population, accumulated since prehistoric times. And what the DNA of a person who lived 20,000 years ago tells us.
It is the first episode of the new series An impressive new world.
data sheet:
journalist: Miriam Alves
picture: Paulo Seba and Rogero Esteves
Editing the picture: Thiago Martinez
Graphics: Patricia Reese
Editorial production: Diana Mathias
Drone: 4KFly
Colored: Jorge Carmo
direction: Ricardo Costa and Marta Brito dos Reis
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