Students Spreading Awareness

Human Genome Project

William Chan, Chirayu Chokshi, Daphne Ng, Afshaan Purvez, Vijitha Shree Rajkumar, Authi

Seevaratnam, Ashneet Singh

"Today we are learning the language in which God created life." 

US President Bill Clinton

TEAM

Result ofImplicationResult of

Implication

Designed to map and classify the genome (all genes) of the Homo sapiens species

Completion in April 2003 Gave scientists the ability to map out the procedure that goes into creating a human being

Completion of this project provided the discovery of more than 1800 disease genes

Human Genome Project

Purpose

Benefits

Genomics Background Information

• Study of genes• Genes are found on 23 pairs of chromosomes in

the nucleus of every human cell• An organism's complete set of genes is called its

genome (Human Genome Project)• Gene identifies the unit of DNA that contains the

information to make a specific or set of proteins• DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) is a chemical

compound which holds the instructions to create and control actions and activities of all living organism.

Research Question

What are the societal and global implications that arise from the procedures, practices and implications of the Human Genome Project?

Human Genome Project: Societal Issues

Stigmatization and psychological

impacts, confidentiality and

privacy, acceptance into the community, and fairness in the use of the genetic

information.

Define the legal issues that will

occur due to the implications of the Human Genome

Project on the Judiciary Branch of

the U. S. A government

Explore the ethical issues that result from the practices

and uses of genetic information of

individuals

Social Ethical Legal

The potential business

opportunities and economical growth

due to the implications of the Human Genome

Project on lifestyles

Economical

Define the legal issues that will

occur due to the implications of the Human Genome

Project on the Judiciary Branch of

the U. S. A government

Environmental

Social IssuesMain Points

Discrimination likely to increase once others are able to view the genetic information of an individual, leading individuals to be alienated

Individuals in countries without a proper health care system (such as USA) might have to face difficulties in being granted health insurance

The patient-physician relationship might change in response to the added knowledge for the physician, regarding the genetic information of the individual.

Even family members might change their behaviour around the individual once they know that a certain abnormality exists or is likely to exist in the individual.

Ultimately, the individual is likely to change his/her activities and behaviour around others, and thus will perceive him/herself to be different and abnormal.

Detailed information can be found here.

Legal IssuesMain Points

The genome project would cause many uprisings in the judiciary branch of the United States

Many questions will arise and here are a few:1. Who would use the information from the

project?2. Who are allowed to access it ?3. If the project was used for improper reasons,

who would stop them?4. Can humans be patented ?5. When we fully understand each parts of the

genome, will scientists be allowed to use it? If so, who would monitor them? Who should they work for?

Detailed information can be found here.

Legal IssuesAnswers

Scientists made the genome project available for everyone. This decreases the chances of the project being used to discriminate individuals or communities who aren’t able to access it.

United States Patent Office forbids the patenting of human being; the law protects citizens from generically altered people

Detailed information can be found here.

Genetic fingerprinting is 95-99 percent accurate, but with the genome project completed, the percentage is nearly 100%; allows judiciary to accurately identify a person

HGP aided the court with their rulings, but as more information about the genome is uncovered, more questions need to be answered and ultimately more laws need to be passed

The Civil Rights Acts of 1964 protects job discrimination on race, colour, religion, sex, or national origin therefore protects people from discrimination according to their genetics.

Ethical IssuesMain Points

Some believe it is wrong to alter the natural code of living things while opposing side think that if experimenting with our DNA can cure diseases, it is right

To investigate, ELSI (Ethical, Legal and Social Issues) was created by Human Genome Research Institute

ELSI has 4 categories: - Privacy and Fairness in the Use and Interpretation of

Genetic Information- Clinical Integration of New Genetic Technologies- Issues surrounding Genetic Research and - Public and Professional Education

ELSI showcases ethical, legal and social rules and regulations that concern the practices, procedures and use of genetic information of individuals and communities

Detailed information can be found here.

Economical IssuesMain Points

Up to $2 billion spent on funding HGP research in the public sector and private sector

Craig Venter, the ex-president of Institute for Genome Research formed a private corporation, Celera Genomics, attempting to exploit its economic potential

Wall Street Journal catalogued over $1 billion worth of IPO filings that would augment of the bio-engineering companies applying HGP concepts in the marketplace.

Hypothetical economic influences of the HGP on health/life insurance companies due to research implications of the HGP. E.g: Estimating life span of a person.

Average worker's health and life expectancy improves by HGP output; production losses, due to sickness and morbidity, should decline which enhances economic productivity

Detailed information can be found here.

Environmental IssuesMain Points

 Genome Project has an agricultural aspect to it called the Environmental Genome Project

Both concerned with biogenetics and bioengineering; similar processes used, except one is on humans, while the other is on plants and animals

 Grow crops and animals that are more disease resistant, and profitable

Reduces the waste to a large extent, which in effect does help in the reduction of air pollution on farms because of healthier farmland

Example:  Genetically engineered tobacco plants produced to break down certain explosives such as TNT

Detailed information can be found here.

Students Spreading AwarenessHuman Genome ProjectThe website can be found here.

A website dedicated to spreading awareness about the societal issues to the world through the world wide web

Communication through internet is booming in the 20th century; Internet provides a definite form of spreading awareness

Conclusion• The Human Genome Project provokes many societal issues

such as discrimination, use of genetic information, research implication on plant and animal genes, etc.

• Overall, implications of the Human Genome Project’s societal issues depend on a community’s ethics, economics, judiciary system

• No one answer can apply for all communities due to different morals and ethics

• Developed and non developed countries will have equal access to genetic information

• It is likely that there will be a difference between the time of

use and implications of the data gathered

References

• Social• Altman, Russ B., et al. "Initial Sequencing and Analysis of the Human

Genome." International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium 15 February 2001: 860-921.

• Boon, Kevin A. The Human Genome Project: What Does Decoding DNA mean For Us? New Jersey: Enslow Publishers, 2002.

• Drell, Daniel. DOE ELSI Program Emphasizes Education, Privacy - A Retrospective (1990-2000). 8 May 2002. 22 November 2009 <http://genome.gsc.riken.go.jp/hgmis/resource/elsiprog.html>.

• Murray, Thomas H., Mark A. Rothstein and Robert F. Murray. The Human Genome Project and The Future of Health Care. Indiana: Indiana University Press, 1997.

• The Finished Human Genome - Wellcome To The Genomic Age. 14 April 2003. 21 November 2009 <http://www.sanger.ac.uk/Info/Press/2003/030414.shtml>.

• Toriello, James. The Human Genome Project. New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, 2003.

References

• Legal• Boon, Kevin A. The Human Genome Project: What Does Decoding DNA mean For

Us? New Jersey: Enslow Publishers, 2002.• Economic

Boon, Kevin A.. The Human Genome Project: What Does Decoding DNA Mean for Us? (Issues in Focus). Berkeley Heights: Enslow Publishers, 2002. Print.

• Davies, Kevin. Cracking The Genome: Inside The Race To Unlock Human Dna. New York City: Free Press, 2001. Print.

• Ethical• Boon, Kevin A. “Issues in Focus.” The Human Genome Project: What Does Decoding

DNA Mean for Us?. Berkeley Heights: Enslow Publishers, 2002. 68-71.• "genome.gov | ELSI Research Program." genome.gov | National Human Genome

Research Institute. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Dec. 2010. <http://www.genome.gov/10001618>.• Human Genome Project Institute. genome.gov [homepage on the Internet]. United

States of America: Human Genome Research Institute; 2009 Oct. 20. [cited 2009 Dec. 15]. Available from: http://www.nih.gov/about/researchresultsforthepublic/HumanGenomeProject.pdf.

• The National Human Genome Research Insititute, “Ethical, Legal and Social Implications (ILSI): Program Areas,” National Human Genome Research Insitute, n.d.,

• http://www,nhgri.nih.gov/About_NHGRI/Der/Elsi/High_Priority.html (May 20, 2001)

References

• CSH Press Genome Research. "Segmental Duplications: Organization and Impact Within the Current Human Genome Project Assembly." CSH Press Genome Research. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Jan. 2010. <http://genome.cshlp.org/content/11/6/1005.abstract >.

• National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). "Environmental Genome Project." National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Jan. 2010. <http://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/supported/programs/egp/>.

• Oak Ridge National Laboratory. "Benefits of the Human Genome Project." Oak Ridge National Laboratory. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Jan. 2010. <http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/project/benefits.shtml>.