Did you know that you share 50 percent of your DNA with a banana and a whopping 99.9 percent with your best friend?  Have you ever wondered how genes affect growth and aging, or what your future children might look like?  Stop wondering and start exploring because the future is here.  Scientists have mapped the human genome – a person’s entire set of genes – and you can experience the amazing world of human genes first-hand in GENOME: The Secret of How Life Works, at the Witte Museum, February 7 through May 25, 2009.

GENOME is made possible by Pfizer Inc and was produced by Evergreen Exhibitions in collaboration with the National Human Research Institute (NHGRI), a division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Whitehead Institute/MIT Center for Genome Research.

This 5,000-square-foot interactive exhibition, which debuted at the Smithsonian, explores the mysteries of the human gene, why the genome is being mapped, and the potential benefits of gene research (i.e., preventing and curing diseases, living longer, solving crimes, producing better food and drugs). It also looks at the 200-year history of this science and the individuals who have shaped it – from Gregor Mendel, the 19th-century monk who discovered the rules of inheritance by cultivating peas in a monastery garden, to Jim Watson and Francis Crick, who in the early 1950s discovered the form and process of genetic replication, the famous DNA double helix.

“The understanding of the human genome opens up an entirely new frontier for health science research, and it is anticipated that it will lead to new therapies and cures for devastating diseases.  However, many people are unaware of the genome or its potential to enhance our lives,” said Dr. Tom Turi, a genomic scientist with Pfizer Inc. “We believe engaging and educating families through interactive exhibits such as “Genome” will help them better understand how future discoveries can directly and positively impact their health.”

GENOME uses interactive displays, visually rich environments and family-friendly activities that are specifically designed to help visitors understand the genome’s function and its role in daily life. These include:

• Giant Double Helix - An eight-foot-tall, 25-foot-long display of DNA’s double helix structure.
• Discovery Theater - An opportunity to meet the minds that were instrumental in the discoveries leading up to the sequencing of the human genome.
• Hereditary Slot Machines - A working slot machine that demonstrates the odds that children will inherit genes for certain characteristics.
• The Cookie Factory - A visualization of protein production that children and adults alike can grasp, with DNA, genes and proteins as the ingredients and recipes for “making” human beings.