TED Health How our changing DNA keeps us alive | Linda Chelico
Mar 17, 2026
Dr. Linda Chelico, biochemist studying virology and cancer biology, explains how DNA is constantly changing. She explores deliberate bacterial mutations for survival. She introduces APOBEC proteins that mutate DNA to fight viruses and shape antibodies. She discusses how these processes can both drive cancer and be directed to steer tumors toward death.
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CIRBP Boosts Repair And Reduces DNA Errors
- High levels of cold-inducible RNA-binding protein (CIRBP) strengthen DNA repair in bowhead whales.
- Adding the whale version of CIRBP to human cells improved repair fidelity and reduced mistakes in lab tests.
DNA Is A Living Document That Faces Constant Damage
- DNA is dynamic and sustains daily damage from external and internal sources.
- Humans encode repair proteins but they can't fix everything, which explains sunburns and age-related cancer risk.
A Risky Postdoc Trip Led To Studying Deliberate Mutations
- Linda Chelico risked traveling from Canada to Australia late in her PhD to find a postdoc studying mutation mechanisms.
- That gamble led her to a US lab where she learned about bacteria deliberately inducing mutations.