The Human Genome Project is a mind-blowing development that has engaged scientists for the past 20 years. It can identify thousands of genes in human DNA and determine the sequences of 3 billion chemical base pairs.
Sequencing the first human genome under this project was backbreaking work. Akin to carefully pealing off the paint of an important monument in order to discover the age and intricacies of the bare architecture, scientists must delicately uncoil DNA while meticulously determining the order of the bases.
Ultimately, the Human Genome Project allowed scientists to discover genes and their sequence. What took billions of dollars and several years to complete can now be done in a few days and for a few thousand dollars.
However, the accessibility to the human genome comes with an influx of moral and ethical questions.
While the purpose of the Human Genome Project is limited to health benefits such as treating medical disorders, there is a concern that the project may be used inappropriately. For example, health insurance companies and employers may exploit the genome sequence of a patient if they are able to get access.
People can be denied health insurance or may be charged a very high premium. Additionally, people can be denied a job due to health risks linked to their genome sequence. However, the government has taken actions to prevent such discriminatory practices by passing the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA).
Another concern with the human genome is that it may lead to discrimination and prejudice against people who have "bad traits." These "bad traits" may include a lack of intelligence in the field of mathematics or simply being too short or too tall.
Scholars argue that the evolution of the Human Genome Project will lead to a society that will rely too heavily on bettering the human race. There will be no natural drive to excel or no acceptance of the biological essence of human life that makes all of us different.
While the arguments against the Human Genome Project are valid, they also seem to be missing the main contribution that the project will have on our society. Genetic treatment will be able to flourish, and medical research will benefit considerably from a more thorough understanding of human genes. Once the human genome is made completely available, doctors and scientists will have a directory of information about the genetic compositions of the human body. Doctors will be able to look up the genetic makeup of the patients and quickly identify genes that may be mutated. In doing so, medical disorders can be diagnosed, treated and possibly even cured.
For so long, doctors have spent decades trying to decipher what caused a particular disease or what they could have done to prevent the disease from causing death. This strenuous and inefficient process is becoming archaic.
While all of us have the same "human genome," there are differences in the genome sequence in individuals called single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). These minor variations are thought to be the basis of our susceptibility to diseases and response to drugs. SNPs can predict if someone is likely to get heart disease or diabetes. Thus, doctors can assess a person's medical risk factors just by looking at his or her genome. This is already leading the way to personalized medicine.
We must not hinder human genome sequencing efforts and its adoption in medicine and health care. People who believe that the project will create a new era of eugenics are forgetting that patients with life-threatening illnesses are yearning for our help. Fear that the human genome will elicit discrimination and prejudice is not enough to stop this phenomenal scientific achievement from transforming our lives.
Akansha Mishra is a pre-law junior at UF. Her column appears on Fridays.
