Personal Genomics
**Originally Aired December 2005 on Glimpse of Tomorrow** Text Transcript
In 1984 groups of scientist were tasked with completing the Human Genome Project. This project had an estimated time line of 15 years from 1990 – 2005 and a cost of around three billion dollars. Today in 2005 due to radical advancements in gene sequencing and cloning techniques the idea of an individual Personal Genome for $1000 is being discussed. From three billion to one thousand dollars now that is a deflation in cost of 97%. This massive price drop is what can allow for such an amazing possibility. This ability for each and every one of us to map out their own Genome will help to diagnosis and treat diseases creating customized health care. “Our three-billion-base-long genome is broken into 23 separate chromosomes. People usually have two full sets of these, one from each parent, that differ by 0.01 percent, so that an individual’s personal genome can really be said to contain six billion base pairs.”
With personal genetic information you could have early warnings for certain illnesses or tendencies that your genetics make you more likely to succumb too. The other overall benefit is the number of genome’s available to researchers will make detection and discovery of genetic disease easier due to the volume of comparative material to work from. The ability for pharmaceutical companies and bio-engineers to customize drugs and gene therapies for you or more realistically specific genetic types of peoples based on commonalities in DNA structures.
This sounds wonderful but wait this is a very sharp two edged sword. Major privacy concerns shadow this magnificent leap in technology every thing from insurance companies using your genes against you to the possibility that some one might be able to “make synthetic DNA corresponding to (your genes) and plant it at a crime scene”. Paternity would be a known commodity and finding out you father is the “Milk” man might cause some family strife. Another thing that must be considered is do we want to know that we have some horrible genetic defect that has no cure yet?
The flip side of that coin is the yet. Early detection is a good thing for treatable diseases. It might also be good for things that do not yet have a viable treatment but may have clinical trials or other research related possibilities. Many things that we might discover in our genes may be so many years off that with the vast DNA made available by so many people having personal genomic work ups a cure or treatment may be developed.
This is a slippery slope and one we must head down with eyes wide open but with fore thought and I hate to say it but legislation we should be able to keep our private information safe and still experience all the benefits that something like this has to offer.
Expectation is that the $1000 price point could be hit by 2014. We already have a number of companies that are performing testing of individuals for certain genetic maladies. Some talk of an X-Prize styled competition to urge the advancement of sequencing techniques also might make that date move up.
Understanding the basic building blocks of life has been a massive and some what impersonal thing to most people but with these advancements and price points it just got a lot more personal. If you are interested in volunteering to have your DNA sequenced you can contact Personal Genome Project (PGP) you can find a link in the show notes.
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