On May 14, the theme activity of "Same Science Lesson" and the Frontier Course of Science and Technology for Young Scientists: "Unveiling Cross-species Genetic Engineering: The Magic Wand and Wonderful Applications of Future Science and Technology" jointly planned and launched by the Future Forum and the China Science and Technology Museum were held at the China Science and Technology Museum.
Du Peng, a professor at the School of Life Sciences of Peking University and a researcher in life sciences at the 2023 Asian Young Scientist Fund Project, talked about the charm of science with more than 100 outstanding teenagers, focusing on cutting-edge scientific fields and leading them to explore the mysteries of life.
Du Peng: Unveiling cross-species genetic engineering and looking forward to new ideas for cancer treatment
In this event, Professor Du Peng gave scientific lectures to teenagers on topics such as "The Discovery of Penicillin", "Gene Editing Technology" and "Cross-species Gene Therapy" with the title of "Demystifying Cross-species Genetic Engineering: The Magic Wand and Wonderful Applications of Future Technology".
Professor Du Peng first shared his own experience in study and scientific research, emphasized the possibility that knowledge can change destiny, and encouraged young people to cherish the existing learning opportunities and strive to broaden their horizons.
He used penicillin as an example to describe the source of inspiration for genetic engineering technology. He pointed out that Fleming's discovery of antibiotics in 1929, that is, Penicillium produced a certain chemical substance, which inhibited the growth of bacteria, allowing human beings to basically solve bacterial infections such as influenza, tuberculosis, and gastrointestinal infections, and human life expectancy achieved a great leap. He said that although penicillin itself does not belong to the category of genetic engineering, this research on small chemical molecules has demonstrated the possibility of humans to produce useful compounds by modifying organisms, and has promoted the development of genetic engineering and genetically modified technology.
Professor Du Peng introduced that scientists have developed a method for artificially efficient editing of genomic DNA based on CRISPR-Cas9, a natural defense mechanism of bacteria. In recent years, scientists have not only applied this technology to the treatment of human tumors, eye diseases, blood diseases, T cell modification and other related diseases, but also applied this technology to the improvement of animal and plant varieties.
Cancer is an important threat to human health and one of the most lethal diseases in humans. Professor Du Peng introduced his team's idea of using cross-species genetic engineering to develop the editing and repair technology of ubiquitous defective miRNAs in tumor cells for the first time through the plant immune protein RDR1, which restored the overall expression level of miRNAs, thereby achieving broad-spectrum inhibition of the growth of a variety of different tumor cells. Based on the original immunity of animals, this technology constructs a new type of molecular-level immunity, develops new strategies and new ideas for tumor treatment, and is expected to eventually develop an original anti-tumor drug with broad spectrum and low toxicity.
Scientists Talk to Teenagers: Stay Curious and Use Science to Ignite Youth
At the event, the teenagers exchanged views with Professor Du Peng on issues such as "the combination of AI and cross-species genetic engineering technology", "the extensiveness of gene editing technology in disease treatment", and "gene editing and endangered animal protection".
Professor Du Peng said that AI can help humans organize data to a large extent, and may promote the development of life sciences in the next 10 years. However, he also pointed out the uncertainty and unpredictability in life science research, emphasizing that AI is not a one-size-fits-all tool.
At the same time, Professor Du Peng also pointed out that the main application direction of gene editing technology is disease treatment, and it is widely used, including the treatment of sickle cell anemia that has been approved in the United States, and is being tried to treat blood diseases, eye diseases, genetic diseases, deafness and other diseases.
In addition, in response to the issue of gene editing and the protection of endangered animals, Professor Du Peng mentioned that gene editing is not an effective strategy to save endangered animals, but animal cloning technology is. However, the practical application of cloning technology needs to take into account the characteristics and limitations of animals. Taking giant pandas as an example, due to their weak fertility, it is difficult to use cloning technology for reproduction and improve reproductive efficiency.
During the event, the youngsters watched the documentaries of the winners of the Future Science Prize to gain an insight into the lives of these scientists, their outstanding scientific achievements, and their epoch-making contributions to the field of science.
In order to encourage young students' enthusiasm for science and spirit of exploration, Professor Du Peng presented a series of books entitled "Future Scientists: Interviews with Future Science Prize Winners" to the young students, so as to encourage them to cultivate a scientific way of thinking and always maintain their curiosity and desire to explore the world of science.