blog.bioethics.net
a Nature Top 50 science blog from The American Journal of Bioethics
Entries from blog.bioethics.net tagged with 'genetics'
There's Something Different About You. And You. And Everyone Else You've Ever Met. They Are All Mutants.
It turns out it wasn't all a bunch of rubbish when our parents told us as children that each one of us was very special, in fact unique, from everyone else. Scientists have now proven it. According to a study in Current Biology, scientists say they have learned that every... (read the rest)
Who Cares About Preventive Care? Who Should?
The role and scope of preventive care in our healthcare system has been a perennial issue for decades. Emily Willingham raises the issue and its role in healthcare reform and are larger healthcare system in light of a recent encounter on Facebook and more: I received a Facebook invitation today... (read the rest)
Moooove Over Elsie. We Know Your Entire Genome Now.
The Saint Louis Post Dispatch says that the sequencing of the cow genome is going to lead to more milk and better beef, but all I can say for sure is that it certainly is an interesting step forward in the world of genomics. Secretly I'm hoping for healthy... (read the rest)
Racing For a Cure--And Taking Genetic Samples at the Same Time?
As a woman and a supporter of research of all kinds, I still have a hard time swallowing this request: "You are healthy. You feel great. Can you help us out by participating in a research study where we will biopsy your breast and take out healthy tissue for our... (read the rest)
Feeling Lonely? Blame Your Genes!
According to a recent study reported on CNN, part of the reason you may be feeling lonely this holiday season could be due to your family--but not because they left you high and dry at the holidays or because they ditched you for other relatives. It could because of the... (read the rest)
Letting the Genome Loose? No Biggie.
Announced today in the NYT, Harvard Medical School unveiled the first 10 participants in their Personal Genome Project. Ranging from entrepreneurs to academics to healthcare execs, the goal of the project is to raise awareness about the possibility of personal genomes for everyone. However, the project's lead researcher and participant... (read the rest)
deCODE demoted
I have something to tell you about deCODE--there's good news and there's bad news. First, for the good news: today deCODE announced that it has filed an IND with the FDA for a new drug on cognition designed to combat memory loss and the other effects of Alzheimer's disease. The... (read the rest)
Bargain Basement Genome
Next Big Future says that Applied Biosystems has announced that the $10,000 complete human genome is now in reach, taking less than 2 weeks to sequence the whole shebang. And have no fear--ABI is still on track for the not-so-illusive anymore $100 genome by 2012. Down from a starting price... (read the rest)
23andHerBreasts
On Thursday, 23andMe announced their latest initiative aimed at bringing together the largest cohort of women with breast cancer "to build an infrastructure, based on genetics, that will accelerate consumer-based research of the disease." The women who opt for 23andMe's genetic testing services can opt-in for other kinds of surveys... (read the rest)
Genetic Karma
I don't really know what John Kass is talking about in his Chicago Tribune column: some scary combination of personal experience with featherless chickens that he put into strange positions, genetically engineered animals (that he has nothing to with) and non-existent chimeras such as "superchickens" that he's scared of, and... (read the rest)
Francis Collins: A view from the press room
By Ricki Lewis Francis Collins, the soon-to-be former director of the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), boldly ventured where not too many scientists dare – the press room. At the annual meeting of the American Society of Human Genetics, Dr. Collins is as much a fixture of the reporters’... (read the rest)
10 Reasons to Sequence the Platypus Genome
By Ricki Lewis Move over Craig Venter and James Watson, the latest celebrity to have her genome sequenced is Glennie, a member of Ornithorhynchus anatinus. She hails from New South Wales, Australia. When the planners of the human genome project set aside funds for sequencing the genomes of others, I... (read the rest)
Here's GINA
By Ricki Lewis The human genetics community is eagerly awaiting imminent passage of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act in the Senate. The law, in the works since 1995, prohibits health insurance companies and employers from using private genetic information in coverage and hiring decisions; from requiring genetic screens or tests;... (read the rest)
The noise gets louder
Writing in the Washington Post this week, David Shaywitz highlights some of the unintended consequences of the newer mass-scale approaches to studying genes: A pioneer of this era, MIT geneticist Eric Lander, speaks eloquently of the "global view of biology," meaning that scientists now have extraordinary tools to study not... (read the rest)
The gap is widening on genetic testing, too
By Ricki Lewis Yesterday, Ricki examined the growing gap between science and the public on stem cells. Today, she turns her attention to genetic testing. Marketing tests based on whole genome association (WGA) studies were perhaps inevitable, for the approach makes theoretical sense. Scan genomes of people who share a... (read the rest)
Stray genetic material and expectations of privacy
Popular Mechanics recently ranked what are, in its opinion, the 10 most prophetic sci-fi movies ever. Number 1? The genetics-focused drama Gattaca. As the mag notes, "The technology on display in the movie is still years away, but the central message—that genetic oppression can become institutionalized before anyone notices—is... (read the rest)
Which luxury: gene sequence or car?
From Amy Harmon's piece in NYT about how genome sequencing is becoming a luxury item: “I’d rather spend my money on my genome than a Bentley or an airplane,” said Mr. Stoicescu, 56, a biotechnology entrepreneur who retired two years ago after selling his company. He says he will... (read the rest)
Science's Breakthrough of 2007
And the winner is... human genetic variation. From the journal's article explaining its choice: The unveiling of the human genome almost 7 years ago cast the first faint light on our complete genetic makeup. Since then, each new genome sequenced and each new individual studied has illuminated our genomic landscape... (read the rest)
Art Caplan at MSNBC: Does this man look black to you?
Art writes that James Watson's own genes raise questions about the meaning of race: One of the greatest scientific achievements of the 20th century should now be attributed to a black man, or so it seems. James Watson, the man who worked with Francis Crick to identify the double-helical structure... (read the rest)
Separated at birth... for research
The story of Paula Bernstein and Elyse Schein sounds like something from a movie. The identical twins were separated at birth, adopted by different families. In their early 30s Schein started looking into information about their birth mother and in the process found out that she had a twin.... (read the rest)
NYT: In DNA Era, New Worries About Prejudice
Amy Harmon continues her series of articles about the DNA age with a piece about concerns prompted by research into genetic variation between ethnic groups. From the piece: Such developments are providing some of the first tangible benefits of the genetic revolution. Yet some social critics fear they may also... (read the rest)
New report: UK needs better guidelines for its forensic DNA database
The report is from the Nuffield Council and it calls for a number of changes to the way law enforcement agencies in the UK handle genetic information. (Britain is said to have the largest forensic DNA database in the world.) Among the report's (one page pdf summary) recommendations: + The... (read the rest)
Calling "Not it!" on paying for the genomics revolution
The Economist recently reviewed the rapidly growing field of individualized genetic testing and personalized medicine. It covered a lot of the usual questions about privacy, but the article is primarily about health insurance. The short story: the promise of genetic medicine has insurance companies a little worried. Why? They figure... (read the rest)
Worth reading from the weekend
One piece about the genetic present, the other on the genetic future. First, in the NYT Magazine Peggy Orenstein explores the questions and concerns prompted by egg donation: It was weird to look at these pictures with Becky. I inevitably objectified the young women in them, evaluating their component parts;... (read the rest)
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