Trying to keep up with new scientific terms. Internet of DNA! It refers to a global network of millions of sequenced genomes which can be medicine’s next great advance for disease diagnosis and treatment. Up to date, more than 200,000 people have already had their genomes sequenced and this continues to rise. However, the challenge in genomics is that a great deal of the above life-saving information, though already collected, is still inaccessible.
Pressure in the field is building to use technology to study many genomes at once and to compare the genetic information with medical records. This could ultimately lead to discoveries about the genetics of common and rare diseases. To complicate this matter more, we also have to consider all of the social and legal concerns when it comes to privacy rules. DNA data is protected because it can identify individuals, like a fingerprint—and medical records are private too.
Knowing that trafficking DNA across the Web could be a target for “Hacking your genetic code”, would you be willing to share your genomic data in the hope of saving someone else’s life one day? Should this decision be a “People Choice”?
What do you think?
Read more …
Enzo Life Sciences offers a comprehensive product portfolio for advancing your research in genomics through comparative genomic hybridization with the
CGH labeling kit, and gene expression with the
BioArray™ RNA amplification and labeling kits.
