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Mapping Wild Cards

Inspired by: other » The Importance of Junk DNA

version: 1 / created: 2011-02-01
id: #1543 / version id: #1543
mode: VIEW

Originally submitted by: Jari Kaivo-oja
List of all contributors by versions (mouse over)
Last changed by: Jari Kaivo-oja
WI-WE status:
unpublished

Source of inspiration

Other, please specify:   Scientific American

The source of the Wild Card is

Scientific American. December 2010. 10 World Changing ideas.

Headline

(max. 9 words)

The Importance of Junk DNA

Description

(approx. 150 words)
Please describe the Wild Card (approx. 150 words)
Genes make up only about 2 % of the human genome. The rest was for many years ignored as “junk DNA”. This space is an incredibly important part of the genetic code, home to a vast unexamined treasure trove of information that controls how genes behave. Biologists continue to be surprised by what was once dismissed as wasted space.

Keywords

DNA, human genome, genetic code, wasted space, biology

Mini-description

(max. 250 characters)

Gene research has gained much public attention. Genes make up only about 2 percent of the human genome. The rest was for many years ignored as "junk DNA". Now biologists have come to understand that this space is an incredibly important.

Likelihood

Closest timeframe for at least 50% likelihood
Please use one of the following options:
now-2050+

Features of life if the wild card manifests

Feature 6: health and quality of life
This observation has many direct and indirect impacts on health research. Biggest impacts are found in the field of cancer research, but also in other fields of illnesses.

Type of event

Human planned (e.g. terrorist attack or funded scientific breakthrough)

Type of emergence

please select (if any) describe related trend or situation
A contemporary equivalent of past Wild Cards
(e.g. earthquake, tsunami or, similar to the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the USA breaks up into independent countries sometime between 2025-2050, for example)

Type of systems affected

Human-built Systems - E.g. organisations, processes, technologies, etc.

Classification

Desirable

Importance

please specify:
please select
Level 3: important for the European Union Relevant for health research
Level 4: important for the whole world Relevant for health research

Early indicators

(including weak signals)

Biology research

Latent phase

Obstacles for early indentification

scientific filters (knowledge/technology access)

Manifestation phase

Type of manifestation

In a probably pervasive way (contagious or transmittable)

Aftermath phase

Important implications
Transformation of a system (e.g. new applications, change in stakeholders relations/influence)

Key drivers or triggers

Provide up to 2 possible drivers or triggers of HIGH importance. Click on HELP to see examples:
please describe
Driver / Trigger 1
please describe
Driver / Trigger 2
Technological/Scientific Biology research

Potential impacts (risks & opportunities)

Timeframe options
Risks Opportunities
immediate
(within 1 year after the Wild Card manifests)
Elimination of many diseases
short term
(1 to 5 years after the Wild Card manifests)
Elimination of many diseases
medium term
(5 to 10 years after the Wild Card manifests)
Elimination of many diseases
long term
(more than 10 years after the Wild Card manifests)
Elimination of many diseases

Potential stakeholders' actions

before
it occurs
after
it occurs
Policy actors (at the international, European and national levels) Active research Active research Active research Research agenda priorities analysis Research agenda priorities analysis Research agenda priorities analysis
Business actors (incl. SMEs) Active research Research agenda priorities analysis
Academic/Research sector Active research Research agenda priorities analysis
Non-for-profit organisations (e.g. NGOs, political parties, social movements, voluntary associations) Information sharing
Media Information sharing
General public Information sharing

Relevance for Grand Challenges

where? please justify:
particularly relevant Europe world
Ageing and other demographic tensions Better health treatments/care
Diseases, health and well-being Better health treatments/care

Relevance for thematic research areas

please justify:
particularly relevant
Health Better health treatments/care
Nanosciences, nanotech, materials & new prod. tech. Nanohealth solutions

Pan-European strategies potentially helping to deal with the wild card

please justify:
particularly relevant
Facilitating and promoting knowledge sharing and transfer
Increasing the efficiency and impact of public research through Joint Programming (i.e. combining national and pan-European research efforts) or the optimisation of research programmes and priorities, for example. Health economics

 Features of a research-friendly ecology contributing to deal with the wild card

For further information about 'research-friendly strategies' click here

please justify:
particularly relevant
Overcoming sub-criticality and systemic failures
To be subcritical means that the effort in a particular field or subfield lacks resources, equipment or a sufficient number of researchers to achieve a desired goal

Relevance for future R&D and STI policies

Note: RTD = research and technology development; STI = science, technology and innovation
EU should evaluate the roadmap of health care and medicine innovations of the future to avoid wrong heatlh care infrastructure investments. In the future the role of selfcare is probably increasing in a considerable way.