Pros and cons of the Human Genome Project

[mazinse]

For something like that to happen there would be some serious violation of human rights. Do you think that the policy makers would approve that?

 

[zomgwtf]

Bash him no and I didn't really pay attention to the date until after I'd replied...hahaha...but you answered didn't you so there :P

Anyway...bash him? no, I was thinking more along the lines of trying to "own them" in a way. Big $$ to be had in the areas of drug discovery, medical treatment, etc.

Nah, you can study a persons genes, resistences etc. without having them be a lab rat.

 

[MerelyCurious]

Serious violation of human rights? Hasn't that happened before?

 

[mazinse]

Serious violation of human rights? Hasn't that happened before?

I think one example would be in those developing countries where you sometimes hear about those child geniuses that the government decide to take and raise in special facilities far away from their families. In return, the families receive some monetary compensation. This happens often in developing countries where the government usually fund the majority of science and technological developments directly so they make a big deal out of these things.

 

[MerelyCurious]

Another example would be the patenting of genes (e.g., BRCA1 and BRCA2). Myriad Genetics and the University of Utah actually held patents on these two genes associated with breast and ovarian cancer. This made it quite difficult for these genes to be used for research or for diagnostic testing without incurring heavy costs due to the patent. Thankfully, the patent was just recently declared invalid by a New York Federal court, however, there are still a relatively large number of genetic patents out there that still remain in effect.