The Personal Genome Project
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The Personal Genome Project
Most genetic diseases are influenced by genes as well as other features of our biology interacting over time with our lifestyle and environment. To better understand the dynamics of these internal and external factors—potentially paving the way for breakthrough therapies—scientists will require a large library of genomes they can study.
Click on the left to watch a video about a Harvard Medical School program that seeks to build a database of 100,000 volunteers’ DNA and personal information concerning their lifestyle, traits, and environment. The goal of the Personal Genome Project is to identify the genes that can increase a person's risk of developing common diseases and new strategies for prevention.
After watching the video, write down a few ways that third parties such as advertisers and insurance companies might benefit from the information collected in the Personal Genome Project. What responsibilities do you think scientists doing this kind of research have?
