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Neurological Foundation of New Zealand In recent years it was discovered the extremely rare gene has neuroprotective properties that help carriers evade brain disease. However, millions of peoplewould need tobe genetically screened tofind carriers, an expensive and time-consuming task. But newtechnologies aremaking huge tasks quicker and cheaper. In aworldfirst, theHughes lab has useddonated skin cells togrow neurons in a dish, which they then edited into a library of 18,000 human genes.They are nowpoised to search this library to identify superhero genes using fast-throughput screening technology. The pair are also collaborating on a Parkinson’s disease project investigating a proposed method to rescue dying neurons. HUNTINGTHE SUPERHERO GENE Professor Stephanie Hughes and Dr Indranil Basak from the University of Otago have been hunting the extraordinary ‘superhero’ gene. “The discovery of genetic superheroes demonstrates that resilience to even severe genetic diseases is possible. If we are able to isolate the gene in our lab, it will open up all sorts of exciting possibilities to develop treatments for diseases that, right now, are incurable.” Professor Stephanie Hughes, Director of the Brain Health Research Centre at the University of Otago Professor Stephanie Hughes (fourth from le–) and Dr Indranil Basak (third from right) with members of the Neurodegenerative and Lysosomal Disease Laboratory at the University of Otago