The Genomic Revolution (Exhibition)

Exist Dates

2001 May 26 - 2002 January 1

Biographical or Historical Note

abstract

Exhibition. Opened in May 26, 2001 and closed January 1, 2002. Located in Section 3, Floor 3 in Gallery 3 at the American Museum of Natural History. "The Genomic Revolution" was an exhibition focusing on understanding the genome (all the genetic material in a set of chromosomes of an organism) and genetics (the scientific study of heredity).

Summary

"The Genomic Revolution" was an exhibition focusing on understanding the genome (all the genetic material in a set of chromosomes of an organism) and genetics (the scientific study of heredity). The exhibition examined the developments taking place in the field of molecular biology and explored their impact on modern science and technology, natural history, biodiversity, and our everyday lives. Through exhibits that included hands-on-models, interactive stations, videos, films, visitors polling stations and an original artwork by John Kalymnios, the exhibition immersed the visitors in the many aspects of genomic research from a scientific and technological viewpoint as well as a socioethical perspective. The exhibition also examined the social, cultural, legal and medical impact of the Human Genome Project, the effort to identify all the genes in human DNA. To underscore the implications of genomic research, videos on view featured predictions made by leading experts in the field, including Francis Collins, Director of the National Human Genome Research Institute, NIH; Eric Lander, Director of the Whitehead Institute; Harold Varmus, President, Memorial-Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center; Craig Venter, CEO, Celera Genomics; and James Watson, President, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. The exhibit was curated by Rob DeSalle, Co-Director of the Museum's Molecular Systematics Laboratories and Curator of Entomology, Division of Invertebrate Zoology. Supported by grants from the Richard Lounsbery Foundation and the Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Endowment Fund, the exhibit was on view in Gallery 3 of the American Museum of Natural History from May 26, 2001 through January 1, 2002. In conjunction with the exhibition, the Museum established an Institute for Comparative Genomics.

Individuals and institutions involved in the creation of the exhibition: Rob DeSalle; John Kalymnios; Francis Collins; Eric Lander; Harold Varmus; Craig Venter; James Watson.

Sources

American Museum of Natural History Press Release, May 2001. Departmental Records, 101; American Museum of Natural History Library Archives.

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Related Corporate, Personal, and Family Names

American Museum of Natural History. Gallery 3.
Location of exhibition.

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