Jim Watson has just become the first person to have his complete genome sequenced. Craig Venter's genome sequence is not far behind. Watson's genome was sequenced at the Baylor College of Medicine's sequencing center in collaboration with 454 Life Sciences, a private company that developed some new sequencing techniques. Apparently, the sequence was completed in two months at a cost of $1,000,000. Watson received the results on two DVDs. He promises to deposit it in the public database except for the sequence of his apolipoprotein E gene. He does not want to know which allele he carries because some of them are associated with Alzeimer's disease.
Here's the question for the day. Would you want to know the sequence of your genome if all you had to do was supply a small blood sample to get it? What are the implications? Do your children have a say if you intend to release your genome sequence into the public domain.
I can tell you that I would not do it. Perhaps the older I get the more I'm inclined not to care which alleles I carry but I would always be concerned about what effect it might have on my children—although that may be an unrealistic concern since they seem to have gotten all their good genes from me!
Watson is 79 years old and has two grown children.
[Genome of DNA discoverer is deciphered]
[Nobel Laureate James Watson Receives Personal Genome]
[Project Jim, celebrity sequencing, and the divine right of geneticists]
9 comments :
It's 454 Life Sciences by the way.
Yes, only because I haven't had any children yet and it would be a consideration on whether or not I ever would. But otherwise no. I don't want to worry about what diseases may or may not manifest as I get older.
Is there an irony in the fact that this was done by a religious college, and one which used to employ Dembski and host that DI centre?
As to the question: yes, I would get sequenced if it could tell me whether I was carrying a genetic risk which:
1) Could be significantly mitigated by lifestyle changes which I likely would not otherwise make.
OR
2) Would affect my life-planning by significantly shortening my life or able life (eg: if I knew I would almost certainly die before age 65, that would precipitate immediate retirement).
OR
3) Might affect my children's reproductive decisions (eg. if I were a carrier of something like Huntington, CF, etc).
Other than #3, I don't know if we have yet identified enogh genetic risk factors to extract that sort of information.
I don't think I would release the info into the public domain, unless it was anonymized.
Is there an irony in the fact that this was done by a religious college, and one which used to employ Dembski and host that DI centre?
I know it's confusing but Baylor College of Medicine has nothing to do with Baylor University.
Yes. I could potentially learn of a predisposition to a disease.
If my family would face discrimination from my genome sequence I would not release it to the public. This seems unlikely however.
Yes, I'd get myself sequenced, no I'd not release it to the public domain unless I was satisfied of reasonably secure annonymity.
I don't want to worry about what diseases may or may not manifest as I get older.
I'm not trying to be insulting in any way here, but that attitude sounds like fear of the unknown to me. I'd rather confront the information, especially since most of it will be "we know nothing about this locus" or a probability statement, rather than a certainty.
I'd do it, as long as I didn't have to pay $2 million for it, and I'd release the entire thing to the public domain.
I'm not at all worried about my hideous mutant alleles being outed. I suspect that if all of our genomes were openly revealed, every single one of us would be found to be carrying hideous mutant alleles, and it wouldn't be so awful. It might also be good to learn that genes don't determine your fate, and one thing that would go a long way to unraveling the mystique would be to discover how much we all have in common with one another, both good alleles and bad.
I suspect that if all of our genomes were openly revealed, every single one of us would be found to be carrying hideous mutant alleles, and it wouldn't be so awful.
I agree - but for the interval between a few sequences available for perusal and the majority of the citizenry knowing their own genomes I would expect over-zealous HR personnel, insurance adjusters, and lawyers to cause headaches for the identified sequenced.
It might also be good to learn that genes don't determine your fate
I'd remove the uncertainty from that statement - it would be a good thing for more people to realize that genetic determinism is not a tenable opinion.
I'd do it, as long as I didn't have to pay $2 million for it, and I'd release the entire thing to the public domain.
I'm not at all worried about my hideous mutant alleles being outed. I suspect that if all of our genomes were openly revealed, every single one of us would be found to be carrying hideous mutant alleles, and it wouldn't be so awful. It might also be good to learn that genes don't determine your fate
ditto.
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