© escapade media pty ltd...progress our understanding of life, evolution and disease. each episode...

SYNOPSISGenetics: The Universe Within is not a series about “unimpeachable facts”. Nor can it be. Because, despite the common perception that science progresses by politely achieving a mass consensus, that simply isn’t the case. Especially when a ‘revolution’ is looming on the horizon.

In reality, the advance of science is often a highly charged process ‑ where differing interpretations of data produce numerous conflicting models and hypotheses that can be debated for decades, or more.

But this conflict isn’t ‘trouble’. It’s the very ‘engine room’ that drives scientific understanding and its subsequent technological application forward.

And so it is in the fields of genetics, evolutionary biology, medicine and other scientific disciplines that rely on the collection, analyses, study and experimental/clinical application of genetic data to progress our understanding of life, evolution and disease.

Each episode of Genetics: The Universe Within will reveal an entirely different ‘big picture’ view of the rapidly evolving developments now taking place in the genetic sciences and biotechnology industries ‑ and explore their potential impacts on our lives and world.

In the final episode, many of the series’ central themes, ‘world views’ and key issues will be drawn together, in order to explore the most critical question of all:

Where Do We Go From Here?


SERIES STRUCTUREAmbition:Genetics: The Universe Within will be first and foremost designed to appeal to an audience who would answer ‘no’ to the question “are you interested in Genetics?”. The visual style, the storytelling and tone will engage the curiosity of an ordinary viewer and as if by stealth take them through important and complex science. It will not patronise, it will respect that most people know very little. By the end of the series the audience will know a great deal more and while never being told what to think, will have a lot to think about, to discuss at the watercooler. Able to be watched by the whole family, our aim is to have as many people as possible thinking about, talking about the science and controversies raised.

Storytelling:Entensive pre‑production research and interviews with potential interviewees will ensure that those scientists and pundits appearing will be both eminent in their field and able to articulate complex ideas in simple but not simplistic ways.

Dr Jennifer Gardy (attached to the project) is highly regarded as a science communicator. She will be the benchmark against which other appearances will be measured.

Each episode will begin with the most engaging/hopeful/controversial opinion or question that emerges from the research and filming. This will then form a central question that the episode explores. That question will then be explored through a range of protagonists of divergent views, moderated and segued by a voice over. Take‑home information relevant to the audience, quirks of nature and at times even humour will be infused into the narrative arc of the episode. By the end of the episode, the audience will have been taken on a ride through the subject, have been engaged, perhaps enraged, entertained and feel satisfied they know about the subject and formed their own views. Any episode viewed in isolation from the others will feel complete in and of itself.

The longer story arc that holds the individual episodes together will integrate seamlessly into any individual episode.


EP 1. NATURE 2.0Life’s what you make it. And in the near future, this may become more of a reality than most of us have ever thought possible.

Right now, the entire genetic code of any living organism on earth ‑ including individual humans – can be sequenced in just one day, for as little as $1000 – and the data stored on something as small and cheap as a $5 USB memory stick.

Editing that genome has become simple enough to do in a makeshift lab in a garage.

DNA itself has even entered the age of mass production, and can now be built to order. There are synthetic biology ‘modules’ that allow ‘bioprogrammers’ to write ‘lifecode’ on a computer without ever looking directly at genomic sequences. Human ‘biohackers’ can even insert new genomic sequences into their own bodies. Massive multinational corporations are doing the same with Nature, the world over.

Developments like these are now leading to the claim that the genetic processes which control ‘life’ as earth has known it for the last 4‑billion years are about to be turned upside‑down – and that it is humans who will now take control.

According to this bold vision, evolution through ‘random mutation’, ‘genetic inheritance’ & Darwinian ‘natural selection’ may soon be permanently toppled by ‘intelligently-guided artificial selection’ through biotechnological intervention.

It’s the fast‑approaching age of NATURE 2.0 in which the hi‑tech merger of genetics, genomics, gene editing, biotechnology, synthetic biology and ‘big data’, will theoretically enable all of life to be decoded, manipulated, re-engineered and enhanced as we see fit – all by rewriting the genetic ‘biocode’ of any living organisms we turn our attention to.


EP 2. GENES R’NOT US?The Human Genome Project announced the completion of the first rough draft of the human “book of life” early in the year 2000. In a celebratory ceremony at The White House, President Bill Clinton declared: “This is the most important, most wondrous map ever produced by human kind,” which would “revolutionize the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of most, if not all, human diseases.”

Despite the optimism, all was not quite as clear‑cut as it seemed. Scientists had expected to find at least 100,000 genes in the human genome. What they discovered is that we possess only about a quarter that number. It was a puzzle that led one of the research project’s key figures, Craig Venter, to remark: “We have only 300 unique genes in the human (genome) that are not in the mouse. This tells me genes can’t possibly explain all of what makes us what we are.”

Today, a growing number of scientists are prepared to admit that the more that science studies DNA, genes & genomes, the more apparent it becomes that there are still gaping holes in our current understandings of how evolution, living systems and the processes of disease actually work.

There are also many other questions arising from research in genetics, ‘systems biology’ and the new field of ‘epigenetics’ that are motivating a growing number of scientists to gradually distance themselves from strict ‘genetic determinism’. And even ideas like the ‘Selfish Gene’ and ‘Evolution as a Blind Watchmaker’ are starting to lose support.


EP 3. THINGS GO WRONGThings can, and will, go wrong. And so it is with our genes and our health.

Perhaps the greatest miracle of our genomes is that they function so smoothly, so much of the time. They can easily be damaged or altered by many things: Inheritance. Copying errors. Random mutations caused by bombardment from cosmic rays and other forms of radiation. Exposure to toxins. Ageing.

Then there’s the epigenetic influences now thought to modify ‘gene expression’ ‑ such as diet, stress, exercise (or a lack of it), lifestyle and more. And this is where things start getting even more complicated:

‘Genes’ only make up around 2% of the human genome. The other 98% has long been called ‘Junk DNA’, but we’ve come to realize this ‘non‑coding’ genetic material isn’t junk at all. In fact, many studies are now showing how changes in this genetic ‘dark matter’ are closely lined‑up with genetic disease.

Trying to unravel this vast puzzle needs the analysis of DNA from huge numbers of patients with known genetic diseases, then trying to identify common changes in their genomes.

In the meantime, what are patients, apparently healthy individuals and expecting parents‑to‑be to make of the bold claims of the growing list of companies now offering personal full‑genome sequencing, interpretation and predictive analysis?

Given our current state of knowledge, and the fact the genomes of every single one of us are actually more like a ‘post‑apocalyptic wasteland’ than a neat and tidy ‘book of life’, we’re still a long way from being able to clearly distinguish the difference what’s genetically ‘faulty’ and what’s actually ‘OK’.

Perhaps the clearest exception is with problematic genes conclusively linked to ‘single gene diseases’ such as cystic fibrosis, sickle cell disease, Fragile X syndrome, muscular dystrophy and Huntington’s Disease, among others. Today, many parents‑to‑be already choose to be screened to avoid passing these genes onto their future children. Their discovery can lead to some very hard decisions – from choosing not to have a child, or using donor sperm or a surrogate mother.

As THINGS GO WRONG will show, Genomic Medicine is a field brimming with promise. But fulfilling it may prove to be a tough challenge.

Whether we want to or not, these changes mean both change for the good …… and things we didn’t expect.


EP 4. TEMPTATION TO TINKERNo other creature on Earth is as adept at making and using tools as humans. Together with our innate curiosity and ingenuity, it’s arguably the single greatest driver of our unparalleled advance as a species.

But what happens when your latest extraordinarily powerful tool – gene editing – becomes so easy to do, that almost anyone can start tinkering with life at the level of the genome? That’s exactly what ‘biohackers’ have begun exploring in ‘open source’ indie labs all over the world.

While some of these bio-coders are content to just fiddle with the genomes of bacteria for fun, others have far more ambitious long‑term plans: from bringing extinct species back from the dead or re‑engineering microbial organisms that might help bring Mars to life, through to creating entirely new lifeforms never before seen on Earth.

Then there are those who see their own bodies as ‘living canvasses’, ripe for enhancement or artistic experimentation – or as ‘walking labs’ which they can experiment with to try staving off ageing, or even defeat death itself.

There are countless other more well‑funded genetics/biotech efforts secretly seeking to unlock and unleash all manner of superhuman traits.

‘Gene Doping’ is already rumored to be taking place in the higher echelons of international sport. Right now, it’s impossible to detect.


EP 5. LIFE INC.Today, the global ‘biotech industry’ is worth hundreds of billions of dollars ‑ and the ownership and control of genetic material with unique or special properties can present mind‑boggling commercial opportunities. But what about your own genes? Do you actually own those, or can someone else hold intellectual property rights over the genes that make you “you”? And what kind of genetic material or information can actually qualify for ‘private ownership’?

Until recently, well over 20% of the human genome was protected under U.S patents. Then in 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court voided these patents – and many more. The same ruling also declared synthetic versions of the very same genes were patentable – and that made the Biotech Industry happy, because they’d moved on from using ‘raw DNA’ long ago.

Whether or not you own your own genome, be in no doubt: genetic material deemed to have ‘the right stuff’ can be worth huge dollars today – especially in medicine and agriculture.

Today, more than half a billion acres of cropland worldwide are planted with genetically-modified variants (GMO) of the world’s most common crops – including corn, soy, cotton, canola & many more. Just a handful of companies control the seeds of them all. The benefits include higher yields, reduced labor, better tolerance to drought & frost, increased resistance to disease & pests – & the ability to tolerate herbicides that can be sprayed on entire crops while killing competing weeds.

It’s estimated over 70% of all processed foods in the U.S. now contain GMOs. At the same time, 38 countries have now banned cultivation of GM crops – and public fears and suspicions over the safety of GM‑foods are skyrocketing.

But even as debate over GMOs continues to rage, there’s another unexpected catch to our genetic tinkering that’s far less widely discussed: the possibility we may have entered into an unwinnable ‘genetic arms race’ with nature itself.

A growing number of scientists and farmers also argue that narrowing species diversity among our planet’s major food crops through widespread planting of commercialized ‘transgenic monocultures’ is substantially heightening that risk. They say it’s a disaster in waiting that could trigger for a full‑blown global food crisis in the future.


EP 6. WHICH WAY FORWARD?As previous episodes of Genetics: The Universe Within have revealed, the genetic & biotechnology revolution contains great long‑term promise for improving many aspects of life on our planet.

The developments now taking place in genomic science extend far beyond fixing problems. They’re also enabling the rise of a ‘post-natural world’ that can be radically modified at the whim of humans – in ways that are extremely powerful, highly contentious and possibly downright dangerous.

The concerns that need to be looked at cover the accidental or unintended effects of genetic manipulation; the possible creation of a massive ‘genetic social divide’; ensuring ‘life’ remains the property of all, and not just vast multinational corporations; the security of every individual’s ‘genetic data’; genetic profiling & discrimination; the safety of genetically modified food & organisms; being tempted to revisit the dark practices of Nazi eugenics; the weaponisation of genetics; the possible consequences of unchecked or malicious genomic editing for planetary security and biosecurity; the very real possibility we’re rushing ahead without properly considering the potential consequences. These are all hot topics of concern and debate.

The episode will review many of the major points of scientific, social & ethical concern raised throughout the series, then synthesize them into a wide‑ranging big picture discussion on how we should now manage, control and focus these to ensure they’re used in ways that best serve and protect the broader public interest, while still enabling ‘good science’ to flourish.

With the very future of life itself at stake, surely this is a time when it‘s truly no overstatement to declare: FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION.


BIOGRAPHIESDR. EDWIN KIRKEdwin Kirk is a clinical geneticist and researcher who has worked at Sydney Children’s Hospital for nearly 20 years. He is a Conjoint Associate Professor in the School of Women’s and Children’s Health at the University of New South Wales. Kirk’s research interests are broad, but a particular focus of his work has been the causes of congenital heart disease, which was the subject of his PhD. Other recent work has focused on the genetic counselling and psychological needs of families of children with congenital heart disease. He is an author on more than 60 peer‑reviewed scientific papers and over 70 publications in total. Other researchers have cited this work over 1000 times. He has published in many prestigious journals including American Journal of Human Genetics, Circulation Research, Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Nature Genetics and Science.

Kirk has a strong record as a medical educator. He has held many key roles in medical education. This has included working as Director of Paediatric Education for Sydney Children’s Hospital and its associated hospitals, with responsibility for the training of more than 100 junior doctors. He has been a major contributor to the education of trainees in genetics, chairing the Specialist Advisory Committee in Clinical Genetics (which oversees this training in Australia and New Zealand) from 2007‑ 2012. He is active in teaching medical students and postgraduate research students, having supervised or co‑supervised 6 higher degree students as well as numerous other trainees.

Kirk’s previous experience as a science communicator includes a role in a science documentary made for Discovery Channel (“Giant Head”), as well as appearances on Australian television news discussing research results. He has appeared on SBS Television’s Insight program, and on a science documentary for SBS, “Tales of the Unexpected”, and is a contributor to a radio segment, “Self‑Improvement Wednesday” on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s Sydney station.

DR. JENNIFER GARDYDr. Jennifer Gardy is both a scientist and science communicator. As an Assistant Professor in the School of Population and Public Health at the University of British Columbia, Jennifer holds a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Public Health Genomics. Situated at the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, her lab uses microbial genomics, phylogenetics, and bioinformatics to understand the transmission and epidemiology of infectious diseases, including tuberculosis, influenza, and measles. Her group was the first to use genome sequencing to reconstruct a large outbreak of tuberculosis, and she is continuing to apply this novel technique to other outbreak scenarios. She is also involved in other genomics‑related research, including metagenomic surveys of human and environmental samples. She completed a PhD


in microbial genomics and bioinformatics at Simon Fraser University in 2006 under Dr. Fiona Brinkman, as well as a postdoctoral fellowship in the systems biology of innate immunity with Dr. R.E.W. Hancock at UBC, before joining BCCDC in 2009.

Outside of academia, Jennifer works in science communication. She’s hosted an 8‑part science series for CBC Television, multiple episodes of CBC’s long‑running documentary series The Nature of Things, and is a regular guest host on Discovery Channel Canada’s flagship science newsmagazine, Daily Planet. She’s also blogged and written for Canadian newspaper The Globe & Mail, recently published a children’s book called It’s Catching! The Infectious World of Germs and Microbes, and runs a series of workshops for grad students and postdocs on how to communicate science effectively.

ANTHONY MRSNIKAnthony has over 25 years experience in film and television (including production, financing, co-production, distribution), radio, music, licensing, print publishing and digital and across all genres (drama, kids, light entertainment, comedy, news & current affairs, documentary & factual, sport). Previously, Anthony was the Director of Legal & Business Affairs and General Counsel for Showtime Australia (owned by 20th Century Fox, Paramount, Sony, Universal and Liberty Media). The role included the management of Showtime’s Feature Film and Drama Investments, which saw over 100 hours of original commission series drama (including Satisfaction) and approximately 65 feature films (including Animal Kingdom).

Anthony has also worked for a number of organisations in Legal and Business Affairs roles, including Foxtel, the former Grundy Organisation ‑ now Fremantle Australia (including as head of Grundy Music Publishing), ABC Legal, and Southern Star Entertainment. Some of Anthony’s notable achievements include the rights acquisition, financing and distribution of Cloudstreet; the launch of the highly successful Showcase channel and negotiation of HBO supply agreements; the legal work for the establishment of ABC’s Bananas In Pyjamas; and, feature film script assessment and investment structuring for Showtime.

Freehand’s Key Team:PETER ABBOTT Executive in Charge of ProductionPeter began his career in the late 70’s with Film Australia, occupying a number of Production Manager positions. He has produced, to date, in excess of 400 hours of Science related programming for broadcasters across a number of territories.

Between 1986 and 1992 Peter was the Executive Producer of Beyond 2000, producing a demanding 42 hours of programming a year. Beyond 2000 went on to become an internationally licensed hit program, providing the financial basis for the establishment of Beyond Productions Limited.


While with Beyond, Peter produced two documentaries for Thames Television UK, and a major live special for the Discovery Channel. He also produced 49 episodes of Beyond Tomorrow for Fox Broadcasting Inc of the United States. In 1992 Peter joined the Seven Network as Executive Producer Infotainment Programming. During this period Peter produced or executive produced a number of successful programs including Better Homes and Gardens, Who Dares Wins, The Great Outdoors, and Harry’s Practice.

In 1994 Peter rejoined Beyond Productions and produced a range of programming for The Discovery Channel, The Learning Channel and executive produced Ultrascience, a 13 episode series for ABC Australia.

In 1999 Peter joined Southern Star Group as Executive Producer. In 2001 Peter was the Executive Producer Big Brother Series 1 and also executive produced Series 2 and 3.

Since co‑founding Freehand Productions in 2004, Peter has been the company executive primarily responsible for its production activities.

JOHN GREGORY Chief ExecutiveJohn has been a passionate participant in the screen production sector in this country and abroad for over 20 years. Initially as a lawyer working in Business Affairs, John’s career in television began as Vice President at Grundy Worldwide in Europe where he was a member of the Management team that established the Grundy television formats, production and distribution business in Europe, South America and South East Asia until the company was acquired by Pearson Television (now Fremantle Media).

Upon returning to Australia in late 1995, John became General Manager of Beyond International. At Beyond, John worked across a broad range of media projects in the factual and drama genres for broadcaster clients including Discovery Channel, National Geographic and all the Australian Free-To-Air TV Networks.

In 2000, John became the CEO of convergent media business ‑ Imagination Entertainment (a Tinshed Company) - one of Australia’s first cross‑platform media businesses in which role John drove the development of a range of a wide range of new media brands delivering content across both traditional and non‑traditional media delivery platforms.

A co‑founder of Freehand in 2004, John well understands that the content production can no longer rely on traditional TV business models. New media means new opportunities for reach, revenue and mutual benefit for creative collaborators.


Freehand production credits include:Missing Persons Unit (Nine Network prime time)Honey We’re Killing the Kids (Ten Network prime time)My Restaurant Rules (Seven Network prime time)Queer Eye for the Straight Guy (Ten Network prime time)Top Gear Australia (Nine Network prime time)Bush Slam (ABC ONE)The Nest (SBS ONE)Outback Wrangler (National Geographic Channel)One Small Step (BBC Knowledge)Michael Parkinson in Australia (UK-TV)Micro Nation (Eleven)Planet Cake (Lifestyle Food Channel)Owner Builder Show (How to Channel)Great Australian Homes (How to Channel)Freshwater Blue (MTV Networks)Costa’s Garden Odyssey (SBS ONE)Some Say Love (UK-TV)Escape From Scorpion Island (ABC 3)Family Explorers (TF1 France)El Topo [The Mole] (Telecinco)Outback Wildlife Rescue (Seven Network prime time)Free Rein (BBC Knowledge)A League of Their Own (Network Ten prime time).

GLENN KRAWCZYK Producer/Director/Writer/ResearcherGlenn Krawczyk’s experience in the television industry spans more than 30 years and includes roles as varied as producer, director, writer, researcher, script consultant, audio engineer, sound recordist and music composer.

Despite having worked on everything from soap operas to live operas and extreme sports to reality shows, Glenn’s true passion lies with factual programming ‑ particularly of a scientific or historical nature.

Over the last two decades, Glenn has covered subjects as diverse


as the erosion of privacy in the information age, space and deep‑sea exploration, top‑secret aircraft programs, time travel and quantum physics, the cybernetic merger of humans and machines, the influence of consciousness‑ altering rituals on the evolution of ancient civilizations, the threats posed by volcanoes and solar storms, the unprecedented rise of auto‑immune diseases in the modern world, the claimed inheritance of memories from transplanted organs – and much more.

The resulting stories and documentaries been broadcast across the globe – by broadcasters that include the Discovery Channel, Discovery Health, Science Channel, BBC Knowledge, National Geographic, TLC, ABC, and SBS.

Whether producing content on cutting‑edge scientific and technological developments, or significant events in history, Glenn also recognises that –no matter the topic– extraordinary human stories, ideas and experiences are almost always essential elements for fully capturing and inspiring the imagination and interest of viewers.


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