Personal Genomes

(Guest TOTI by Guy Danus)

Personal Genomes, Harvard

"The Personal Genome Project is an open-ended research study that aims to improve our understanding of genetic and environmental contributions to human traits. In the second half of 2008, we will begin to enroll members of the public who are willing to share their genome sequence and other personal information with the scientific community and the general public.

The mission of the Personal Genome Project is to encourage the development of personal genomics technology and practices that:
* are effective, informative, and responsible
* yield identifiable and improvable benefits at manageable levels of risk
* are broadly available for the good of the general public"

The first ten participants in the PGP, called the "PGP-10", have volunteered to share their DNA sequences, medical records, and other personal information with the research community and the general public.

That's right folks! They are giving up their personal genomic privacy for the good of science! They've publicly released all of their private medical records.

The organization will soon be accepting other volunteers who wish to have their genomes mapped and participate in this study to better define the human genome.

Check out the following wheel for more information on the focus areas of the group:


(From /.)