Explore the fascinating world of introns in eukaryotic genomes through this 21-minute lecture by MIT graduate student Emma Kowal. Delve into the surprising discovery of genes organized in pieces, with introns needing removal before protein synthesis. Learn about the prevalence and size of introns in the human genome, their potential functions, and ongoing research in this field. Discover how introns relate to the Nobel Prize, cell biology, and gene engineering. Follow Kowal's journey through her PhD research project as she investigates the origins and evolution of introns. Gain insights into the complex nature of genes and their impact on molecular biology.