Personal Genomes Taneri

WHAT DO WE THINK ABOUT PERSONAL GENOMES? A SURVEY

OF ATTITUDES TOWARDS ELSI OF PERSONAL GENOMES

Halim A. Cavus, Biran Mertan, Lori Miller and Bahar Taneri

Eastern Mediterranean University, Famagusta, North Cyprus.

The Personal Genome Project is one of the most interesting recent developments

in the field of genomic sciences. This project is certain to bring several benefits

to the society such as facilitating rapid advancement in different fields of

biomedical sciences. Alongside of its various advantages, this particular progress

in the field brings a lot of challenges for the society. With the Personal Genomes

numerous ethical, legal and social issues (ELSI) are inevitable to arise. We

believe that public opinion and opinions of certain groups of the society such as

biomedical scientists, healthcare professionals, educators in sciences and

medicine, and policy makers are of importance in further development,

application and regulation of Personal Genomes. Here, we introduce a survey

designed to assess the attitudes towards Personal Genomes. The survey is

composed of two main parts. The first part measures the knowledge and

awareness levels of participants on Personal Genomes, since these are important

in forming an opinion, and the second part assesses their attitudes. Particularly,

the survey assesses the attitudes towards the ELSI of personal genomes and

towards the possible near future implications of these genomic sequences. The

survey is comprehensive and includes detailed questions targeting the following

issues relevant to Personal Genomes; availability of personal genome

sequencing, ownership of personal genomic data, access to personal genomic

data, and use of personal genomic data by various institutions and by individuals.

The survey is developed in English and its initial validity and reliability are

established. Here, we discuss the details of our survey and the results of its very

first application to a group of undergraduate students.