The Gene: An Intimate History - Season 1

First aired: 4/7/2020 2 episodes

The Gene: An Intimate History traces the evolution of genetics as researchers race to identify treatments for genetic diseases, such as cancer and sickle cell anemia, and to perfect tools for rewriting DNA.

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Episodes

1. Dawn of the Modern Age of Genetics

Aired: 4/7/2020

Part One interweaves the present-day story of the Rosens, a young family on an odyssey to find a cure for their four-year-old daughter’s rare genetic disease, with stories of the exciting discoveries of the early pioneers in genetics. This episode also tracks the dark period in human history when a little genetic knowledge was used to justify terrifying human experiments.

2. Revolution in the Treatment of Disease

Aired: 4/14/2020

Part Two begins with the story of the signature scientific achievement of our time: the mapping of the human genome. As scientists learn to read the genetic code, they grapple with the dangers inherent in increasingly sophisticated and easily available methods of intervening in the very essence of what makes us human, our DNA.