Nucleotides

[Advaithi]

Is it possibile to find the meaning of all ATGC combinations in DNA? If yes what will be the consequences?

[Stefan-CoA]

That's what the various genome projects are all about. To determine the sequence and meaning of the various nucleotide combinations. Apart from the obvious academic importance, this knowledge would allow us to a)exploit this knowledge to our benefit, b)cure/prevent diseases, c)improve crop viability/sustainability, d)discover novel substances which could find a variety of applications. The possibilities are quite endless.

[Horza2002]

The exact sequence of nucleotides gives you the sequence of amino acids that a particular gene codes for. There are very simple tables that convert the codon into the amino acid for you; go to RNA codon table in the link below.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_code

 

It is then the resulting protein that gives all the effects (good and bad)

[sammour]

We could use them to manipulate genes and as a result cure many diseases, create new species and prevent others from extinctions.

I think there are pros and cons for finding out the meaning to all possible combinations. if fallen in the wrong hands, a disaster might result.

[Stefan-CoA]

We could use them to manipulate genes and as a result cure many diseases, create new species and prevent others from extinctions.

I think there are pros and cons for finding out the meaning to all possible combinations. if fallen in the wrong hands, a disaster might result.

 

Those are the risks with any form of knowledge. It's up to us as scientists to provide correct interpretations of this knowledge, or at the very least make it accessible to the layperson. But just because something is scary doesn't mean one should abandon it (point in case my ex-girlfriend ). Maybe just more prudence would be advisable. Oh and we've technically already created new species. Check out J.Craig Venter's work, and before that there's a Plasmodium I think that was stripped of all but the most essential genes. I can't remember it's name though, sorry.

[Zarnaxus]

Because the number of possible humans is 10^{3,010,000^9,030,000}, I would think we could biosynthesize a human that is far more efficient at practically everything than everyone else.

 

 

[CharonY]

Standard rant: Craig Venter did not create a new species. Just re-inserted the same information back into an existing cell. The only novel bit was that the DNA was synthesized in vitro. The sequence was the original ones minus some deletions.

[sammour]

Those are the risks with any form of knowledge. It's up to us as scientists to provide correct interpretations of this knowledge, or at the very least make it accessible to the layperson. But just because something is scary doesn't mean one should abandon it (point in case my ex-girlfriend ). Maybe just more prudence would be advisable. Oh and we've technically already created new species. Check out J.Craig Venter's work, and before that there's a Plasmodium I think that was stripped of all but the most essential genes. I can't remember it's name though, sorry.

 

Yea I've read about his work before. He didn't technically create a new species as CharonY mentioned. But it was a big step for future research, and maybe one day we'll be able to create a new species from scratch, maybe even a multicell organism! It's a really interesting field, I hope that I would be able to join scientists in this research criteria in the future after I finish med school :/

[jimmydasaint]

I see great possibilities for disease treatment, at lest for those fortunate enough to live in the MEDC's of the world. I fail to see how people in LEDC's will be helped at all by decoding the genome. Additionally, I also forsee a problem if the information held in a person's genome is arbitrarily available to others. For example, if you are prone to heart disease, macular degeneration or other debilitating illnesses, or illnesses involving progressive degeneration, will employers choose to look at your talent, or look at the effects of the disease. I had this disturbing choice as a post-doc, when employing another post-doc and it took the wisdom of Solomon to come to a decision. It was heartbreaking.

 

Moreover, the information could be used for racial profiling, and this is unethical, in my opinion. It is salient that I saw a documentary where South American Amazonian Indians distrusted genome researchers, suspicious of the reasons for which it could be used.

 

So...there are good and bad aspects to be shown in decoding the human blueprint.

[Stefan-CoA]

I fail to see how people in LEDC's will be helped at all by decoding the genome.

 

Moreover, the information could be used for racial profiling, and this is unethical, in my opinion.

 

 

 

 

1) Cheaper, more targeted vaccines, more environmentally resistant crops, crops/livestock with better yields or less food requirements.

 

2) As opposed to profiling by skin colour? If one can determine from the DNA sequence that a rapist was east-asian with some caucasian in him/her, then I say go for it. Plus there are a bunch of laws in effect all over the world that make this sort of thing illegal when hiring/firing people. So in employment terms I don't see much of an issue when it comes to race.

 

3) I do agree with the points made about profiling according to genetic diseases though, people should be hired according to their apparent ability NOT their genetic possibility.