On today’s episode, we’re commemorating National DNA Day in the United States by considering the role that DNA plays in our society. First, we welcome Amber Hartman Scholz, co-author of the article “Myth-busting the provider-user relationship for digital sequence information”, looking at how genetic resources are actually used and shared across the globe. We discuss the surprising findings of this research as well as the important implications for policy makers. We then interview Dee Denver, the author of The Dharma in DNA: Insights at the Intersection of Biology and Buddhism, to talk about the significance of DNA research and what the lay person should know about the uses and findings of DNA. We also talk about another aspect that is much less well known: the role that DNA plays at the intersection of spirituality and science. Underlying both interviews is the question of open science and why it matters, specifically, for DNA research.

Learn more about Amber Hartman Scholz and “Myth-busting the provider-user relationship for digital sequence information“ here: https://academic.oup.com/gigascience/article/10/12/giab085/6489125
Learn more about Dee Denver and The Dharma in DNA here: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-dharma-in-dna-9780197604588

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