Everybody is seethe about23andme , one of many startup aiming to murder the consumer market with “ read your own genome at home base ” kits . Most of these company require to cross the happy - personalization speech of the iPod with barely - there biotech to bring in million of customers . citizenry are desperate to understand themselves and take care to their cistron for reply . But with genomics in its infancy as a scientific discipline , and most of our knowledge of cistron functionality in question at estimable , what companies like 32andme are really sell is societal mesh ground on the principles of eugenics . I show you my genome , you show me yours , then perchance we can be friend .
Believe me , I ’d love it if plate genome kit could really assist us in a scientific agency . It would be keen if we know enough about the human genome to say things like “ this cistron gives you a predisposition to clinical depression . ” Once we know that , it ’s only a matter of time before we ’ll get customise pharmaceuticals , a personalized pill that combats your unique form of genetically - hardwired depressive tendencies . But we do n’t . In fact , most doctorsdon’t even realise how to interpret prenatal genetic tests .
Indeed , most genomics experts consort thata inherited predisposition to something is hardly a prediction . Environmental factors toy a key role in gene expression . So a sad puerility might trigger those slump genes , or a polluted environment initiation genes for cancer . Plus , as I say before , we still do n’t really know what most of our gene do . So what if you have a factor that scientists suppose might be connect to a tendency to take peril ? Should you be more careful ? Should you be give drug to calm you down ?
uncollectible case scenario : people doing home genome examination will start out treat themselves for fake disorders . Best case : they turn their genome into a form of social networking , the way 23and me encourages them to , and start date hoi polloi with compatible genomes . That ’s nothing more than eugenics , when you think about it .
23andMe
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