Feb. 7, 2020

Tickets to Augustana University’s annual Boe Forum are available while they last.

The 24th annual event, which is free, begins at 7:30 p.m. March 23 at the Elmen Center, featuring scientists Drs. Robert Green and Jamie Metzl.

They will speak on the topic of science, ethics and geopolitics in genetic engineering and preventative genomics.

“Today’s scientists are studying how direct alteration of an organism’s DNA can eliminate undesirable characteristics, produce desirable traits and be utilized to prevent health conditions. Preventive genomics can help discover treatment protocols for cancer, diabetes and other diseases before symptoms appear,” Augustana said in a statement about the event.

“As knowledge of gene coding grows, this information is becoming readable, writable and hackable. It has the power to eliminate diseases, create bountiful crops to feed an increasing population or even transform an entire ecosystem.”

Metzl is a leading futurist who specializes in making revolutionary science understandable to the general public. He speaks regularly at some of the world’s most prestigious venues. His latest book, “Hacking Darwin: Genetic Engineering and the Future of Humanity,” explores the many ways genetic engineering is shaking the core foundations of our lives: sex, war, love and death.

Green is a renowned physician-scientist and professor of genetics at Harvard Medical School and directs the Genomes2People Research Program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and the Broad Institute. He is an internationally recognized leader in conducting research and developing policies to accelerate the implementation of genomic and precision medicine.

Learn more about the event at augie.edu/boe.