The Compatibility Gene: How Our Bodies Fight Disease, Attract Others, and Define Ourselves

By Daniel M Davis

UK Title: The Compatibility Gene

Synopsis: The Compatibility Gene is a scientific adventure story set in a new field of genetic discovery – that of the crucial genes that define our relationships, our health and our individuality. Here, Daniel M Davis, one of the leading scientists in the field, tells us the story of its groundbreaking developments that have the potential to change us all.

Although there are 25,000 genes in the human body, only a select few of these answer fundamental questions: our compatibility genes. It is these few genes, argues Daniel M. Davis, that determine whether our tissue and organs might be able to be used in transplantation, how successful we’ll be at fighting a variety of diseases, what our chances of successful reproduction are, how compatible we are with one another, and even, to a surprising extent, how mankind has evolved to its present state.

In exploring the history of these genes’ discovery, and the unfolding of their secrets, Daniel M. Davis seeks an answer to questions of how genetic compatibility affects our relationships, reproduction, medical research and ethics – and, looking to the future, considers the startling possibilities of what our knowledge of these genes might mean for you and me.

Published: August 2013 | ISBN: 9781846145148

Book’s Homepage: http://www.davislab.ls.manchester.ac.uk/book/
Author’s mini-bio: Daniel M Davis, PhD, is The Director of Research in the Manchester Collaborative Centre for Inflammation Research – a research institute funded by The University of Manchester, AstraZeneca and GSK. – From University of Manchester Profile
Author’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/dandavishello

Nominated for the 2014 Royal Society Winton Prize for Science Books. The Judges’ said:

“Davis wins you over from the start with touch points you can relate to and engaging descriptions. Dedication and a life spent in pursuit of his subject are evident on every page.”

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