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Silencing Genes for Life
Dr David Suhy
Thu 21 July 2016
Genomics is a branch of biotechnology concerned with the study and manipulation of the
genome (the complete set of DNA within a single cell of an organism).
One branch of Genomics is called RNA interference (RNAi). [RNA stands for Ribonucleic
Acid]. Its inventors Andrew Fire and Craig Mello (Stanford University) were awarded the
Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2006. They showed that RNA could be used to
silence (shut down expression of) the gene carrying the same code as the RNA.
This discovery is the basis of Benitec’s technology, which has potential to treat a wide
variety of human diseases by silencing the genes for Hepatitis A, B, C , HIV, Influenza, and
Neurodegenerative diseases. RNAi is also showing promise in the treatment of cancers by
silencing the genes which increase tumor or cancer cells.
Dr. David Suhy will take us down the highway of our genetics and their control, much as
other speakers have taken us into the understanding of the galactic highway and the
universe.
----Dr David Suhy is Chief Scientific Officer, Benitec Biopharma
Limited
Before joining Benitec, Dr Suhy was Director of Research &
Development at Tacere Therapeutics Inc. Previous roles
include Associate Director of R&D at Clontech Laboratories
Inc and Principal Scientist at Antara Biosciences Inc. He also
led the Target Validation Group at PPD Discovery, a company
with proprietary technology surrounding the use of genetic
suppressor elements to identify "druggable" genomic targets
for large pharmaceutical companies.
Dr Suhy holds a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and
Biophysics from the University of Pittsburgh, earned his PhD
in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Cell Biology at
Northwestern University, and conducted his post-doctoral work at Stanford University.