Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 15, 2025

Generation of Marked and Markerless Mutants in Model Cyanobacterial Species
11:45

Generation of Marked and Markerless Mutants in Model Cyanobacterial Species

Published on: May 29, 2016

12.2K

Mutant metaphors: Frankenstein in the era of COVID-19

Allison Coffelt1, Alexandre Djandji2,3

  • 1Narrative Medicine, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA.

Medical Humanities
|January 5, 2023
PubMed

Insights

The Frankenstein myth shapes outbreak narratives, influencing policies like travel bans. Reimagining mutancy beyond "mutant is other" can help dismantle xenophobic public health responses.

Area of Science:

  • Cultural Studies
  • Biomedicine
  • Public Health Policy

Background:

  • Mary Shelley's Frankenstein myth is frequently invoked in contemporary discourse, particularly in scientific and public health contexts.
  • The term 'Frankensteinian metaphor' is used to describe the othering of biological mutations, such as the omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2.
  • Outbreak narratives, as defined by Priscilla Wald, utilize these metaphors to frame public policy, notably in the USA's COVID-19 response.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the evolving use of Frankenstein metaphors in outbreak narratives.
  • To analyze how these metaphors influence public policy, specifically USA COVID-19 policies like travel bans.
  • To propose alternative frameworks for understanding mutancy and its implications for self/other relationships in public health.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of Frankenstein metaphors in scientific and media discourse surrounding SARS-CoV-2.
  • Examination of USA COVID-19 policies, focusing on travel bans as an example of myth-driven policy-making.
  • Application of Donna Haraway's concept of 'boundary breakdowns' to reimagine relationships with mutancy.

Main Results:

  • Frankenstein metaphors are readily employed in outbreak narratives to justify policies rooted in xenophobia and othering.
  • The concept of 'mutant is other' is a prevalent theme in contemporary virus narratives, reinforcing nativist policies.
  • The use of travel bans exemplifies how potent myths are leveraged to create and legitimize public policy.

Conclusions:

  • Moving beyond the 'mutant is other' paradigm is crucial for reconfiguring relationships between self and other.
  • Reimagining mutancy through concepts like 'boundary breakdowns' offers a path to dismantle hegemonic and nativist policies.
  • Challenging the Frankensteinian framing of biological threats can lead to more inclusive and equitable public health strategies.
Keywords:
COVID-19Health policyMedical humanitiesliterature and medicinenarrative medicine

More Related Videos

Biolistic Transformation of a Fluorescent Tagged Gene into the Opportunistic Fungal Pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans07:32

Biolistic Transformation of a Fluorescent Tagged Gene into the Opportunistic Fungal Pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans

Published on: March 19, 2015

10.1K
Application of I TASSER, trRosetta, UCSF Chimera, HADDOCK server, and HEX loria for De Novo and In Silico Design of Proteins05:08

Application of I TASSER, trRosetta, UCSF Chimera, HADDOCK server, and HEX loria for De Novo and In Silico Design of Proteins

Published on: July 8, 2025

223

Related Concept Videos

Viral Mutations00:36

Viral Mutations

A mutation is a change in the sequence of bases of DNA or RNA in a genome. Some mutations occur during replication of the genome due to errors made by the polymerase enzymes that replicate DNA or RNA. Unlike DNA polymerase, RNA polymerase is prone to errors because it is not capable of “proofreading” its work. Viruses with RNA-based genomes, like HIV, therefore accrue mutations faster than viruses with DNA-based genomes. Because mutation and recombination provide the raw material...
32.7K
Mutations in Microorganisms01:18

Mutations in Microorganisms

Mutations are heritable changes in an organism’s genome involving alterations in the base sequence of DNA or RNA. These changes can influence cellular processes and phenotypic traits, potentially transforming the unaltered wild type into a mutant form. Such changes, termed forward mutations, are pivotal in shaping the genetic diversity of organisms.RNA viruses exhibit the highest mutation rates due to the absence of robust proofreading mechanisms during genome replication. In contrast,...
49
Mutations01:39

Mutations

Overview
84.0K
Mutation, Gene Flow, and Genetic Drift01:09

Mutation, Gene Flow, and Genetic Drift

In a population that is not at Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, the frequency of alleles changes over time. Therefore, any deviations from the five conditions of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium can alter the genetic variation of a given population. Conditions that change the genetic variability of a population include mutations, natural selection, non-random mating, gene flow, and genetic drift (small population size).
59.1K
Viral Recombination00:57

Viral Recombination

Cells are sometimes infected by more than one virus at once. When two viruses disassemble to expose their genomes for replication in the same cell, similar regions of their genomes can pair together and exchange sequences in a process called recombination. Alternatively, viruses with segmented genomes can swap segments in a process called reassortment.
23.7K
In-vitro Mutagenesis01:16

In-vitro Mutagenesis

To learn more about the function of a gene, researchers can observe what happens when the gene is inactivated or “knocked out,” by creating genetically engineered knockout animals. Knockout mice have been particularly useful as models for human diseases such as cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and diabetes.
14.1K