Wednesday, January 19, 2011

DNA HACKING








Next Time! Be careful before leaving your mark on a coffee mug, or simply hair follicle that falls to the floor, contains DNA, Genome hackers may get a clue to penetrate into your personal lives.
21st century; with rapid changes of innovation which is optimizing people’s lives in a nano seconds.
The very significant innovation is Genome detection, which is a revolution amongst 21st century’s scientific contributions. A bland of technology and biotech is a now ready to decode human secrets.
What is Genome Detection?
DNA is a blue print of a Human Life, and it contains the entire mapping of a person’s history and records the changes in the passing time frame. Assessment of Gnome can track the details of a person’s lives; it can produce record of diseases, health, ancestry, and personal data for easy identification.
Genome is consisted with 23 pairs of chromosomes, the Y chromosome and mitochondrial DNA, the only two elements of the genome that are always passed down essentially unchanged from one generation to the next. Y chromosome reflect the origin of a man’s ancestors back to 50,000 years ago when modern humans first left their ancestral homeland in northeast Africa. Those on the mitochondrial DNA reflect the wanderings of women throughout the globe.

Commercialization of Genome Detection & Genetic Research:
The path breaking innovation of Genome Detection is been commercialized by some initiative, as services offering Genome detection by examining customer’s saliva and producing ready in hand information about the Diseases and records of data about one’s ancestor.
The companies providing service through some technology based programme likewise, dcodeMe, SNAP etc.

Scientists have already identified genetic markers for various diseases and health conditions, including cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington’s disease, cystic fibrosis, and potentially thousands of others. Genetic tests are currently available to identify predispositions to specific conditions, and more are expected as science advances. Although none of these tests predict with full certainty that a condition will develop, they provide a new opportunity for individuals to know more about the potential risk of disease for themselves and their families. Once informed about their genetic status, individuals can take proactive steps to protect their health, enhance their well-being, and lower health care costs for themselves and society as a whole.

Understanding The Thread and Legal Issues:
It’s very welcoming the venture of bio-tech industries, accessing and protecting human genome for the purpose of serving its customers. But it should not be overlooked, that information extracted from a person’s Genome is been manipulated or saleable or not to any third-party whose interest might lies on it.
”Rights to Privacy” which is having a chance to be infringed through the misuses of Genetic data generated for the purpose of providing specific customized services.
Whereas; The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, or GINA, is U.S. federal legislation with bipartisan support that protects Americans from discrimination (in health insurance and employment decisions) on the basis of genetic information. GINA has passed through Congress and was signed into law by the President on May 21, 2008. As a result, American insurance companies and health plans (including both group and individual insurers, as well as federally-regulated plans) will be prohibited from:
• looking at your predictive genetic information or genetic services before you enroll;
• "requesting or requiring" that you or your family members take a genetic test;
• restricting enrollment based on genetic information;
• changing your premiums based on genetic information.
But globally! The issue of Genome Hacking is in its nascent stage, lack of any International Regulation and prevention method may cause violation of privacy rights and non-discrimination. On the prospective of global Human Rights issues, tightening and monitoring regulation for such type of violation is mandatory; US federal Laws(GINA) is preventing US based companies for misusing the information e.g 23andMe
But what will be the available legal solutions; if a standard contract allows the companies to sell off the data of a non-us citizen who is a customer of US based company, providing Genome detection services.
So the global frame work does not prevent a Genome Hacker to hack into the DNA of a person, Instead of legalizing Genome Hacking.
So, it’s not difficult for a wrongdoer to manipulate the information and causing harms someone’s life.
Therefore; Genome detection may be a promising innovation till date, but should be implemented through international legal framing and monitored by an international regulatory body which will define the jurisdiction for any conflict arising out of a DNA HACKING.

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