The Human Genome Project – discovering the human blueprint

Activity 3

The Human Genome Project: Advantages and disadvantages

Hold a small group discussion on the advantages and disadvantages of the Human Genome Project.

Use ideas raised by other people in your group to help you decide whether you think the Human Genome Project should have been established.

Take a class vote to find out the overall opinion of the class.

Teachers notes

As the Human Genome Project is a controversial issue there is no right answer. Taking a class vote is only useful as an indicator of the most common opinion in the class. Encourage students who disagree with the majority opinion to realise that, provided their opinions are based on well-reasoned arguments, they are just as acceptable as the majority opinion.

Arguments for could include the unforeseen benefits that come from pure research, and increasing our understanding of human genes and human health by:

  • improving our knowledge of gene expression,

  • elucidating the function of the large proportion of DNA we know little about,

  • discovering possible means of diagnosis for some genetic diseases,

  • discovering possible treatments for currently untreatable genetic diseases,

  • discovering new tools and techniques for genetic research,

  • generating the ability to go directly from a trait to a gene,

  • identifying genetically validated therapeutic targets which would increase the cost-benefit ratio in pharmaceutical discovery,

  • investigating the development of drug resistance in bacteria,

  • investigating antigenic variation and host-parasite interaction at both the host and parasite level.

In addition there are other spin-offs such as:

  • producing a better understanding of biology (procaryotic and eucaryotic),

  • allowing the rapid development of new crops,

  • increasing the productivity of livestock,

  • breeding pest-resistant plants and animals,

  • documenting commercially useful micro-organisms,

  • improving the quality control of our food and environment, and

  • increasing our taxonomic understanding.

Arguments against could include:

  • the cost – the money could be spent elsewhere,

  • the anguish resulting from knowing that a person has an untreatable genetic disease,

  • the use or misuse of genetic information by such organisations as insurance companies and employers,

  • the ownership of genetic test results,

  • the patenting of human genes and DNA,

  • the increasing gap between rich and poor countries in the quality of life and the level of health and disease treatment,

  • the exploitation of isolated populations in the search for disease genes,

  • the ethics of accumulating genotypic profiles of people - are they able to be used for anything that the researcher wants,

  • decisions about the ownership of data by 'affected' or donor individuals,

  • the ethics of germline gene therapy,

  • the ethics of somatic gene therapy,

  • the costs of genetic treatment versus benefit to the community.
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Posted February 1997.