NPR: Craig Venter's DNA for All to See

Craig Venter's DNA for All to See

Craig Venter is, by some accounts, pretty full of himself. The "celebrity scientist," who led the team that finished second in the race to publish the first complete human genome in 2003, has never seemed afraid to let it all hang out in public. But this might be taking it to extremes.

Venter and his team unveiled the first individual genome ever sequenced today. And who did the DNA belong to? Venter himself — all 2.8 billion contiguous bits of genetic code of him.

Self-promotion aside, scientists say it's an important breakthrough, especially for research in preventative medicine. And Venter's DNA shows that we're not all that alike. The old thought had been that humans were about 99.9 percent similar. But now we know that it's more like 99.5 percent (and maybe even just 99 percent). That may still sound pretty close, but the 0.4 percent allows for a multitude of differences.

Yet, there is something unsettling here as well. Venter's code shows that he has a propensity for heart disease and Alzheimer's. The argument is, of course, that knowing about these potential diseases means that he can try to avoid them.

But how much do we want to find out about our futures? How would you feel about knowing what diseases you might get or how long you may live?

3:28 PM ET | 09- 4-2007 | permalink

Comments (Send a comment)

All egotism aside, one could argue that this was a pretty savvy move on Craig's part. By using himself as the guinea pig, he streamlined the process of getting permission to use someone else's DNA, cutting down the paperwork significantly. And by sticking with his own DNA, he's got a complete genome for one specific person, rather than piecing together different sections of genome from a bunch of people and calling it a complete genome, rather than a hodgepodge of source materials.

Having done my own DNA testing for genealogy purposes, I can understand where Craig was coming from in terms of wanting to know as much as possible about one's genetic makeup. Having said that, I'm not sure if I'd be brave enough to make my entire genome available for everyone to see. It's a big sacrifice as far as personal privacy goes, but he's betting that doing do will lead to new discoveries and make it all worthwhile. We'll just have to see what happens next.

Sent by andy carvin | 3:54 PM ET | 09-04-2007

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