As we all try and mosey on back to our routine for Spring semester, most of us would like to improve our academic performances. I sure would. Imagine, instead of just those nifty A’s, being able to look like Hercules or Barbarella while having an I.Q. equivalent of Doogie Howser. If Jonathan M. Rothberg has his way, it could be a reality in the near future – and a terrifying one at that.
According to The New York Times, Dr. Rothberg, the head honcho of Ion Torrent, wants DNA sequencing to be accessible to every medical lab around the world. To this end, Ion Torrent has started selling a DNA sequencer which is called a “Personal Genome Machine” and is “the size of a largish desktop computer.”
If you are unaware, DNA sequencing involves ordering the basic building blocks of our genes – A, C, T, and G bases – into various combinations. According to The New York Times, this procedure helps to “determine the traits of an organism.”
On the surface it looks like this is yet another stupendous discovery by scientists. But it will not take long for you to understand that this sort of discovery could lead to the ability to play God with life on Earth. This is the sort of discovery which could potentially send chills down your spine, or really excite you if you have an X-Men fetish – but that is a topic for another day.
What is really worrisome is the nature of Dr. Rothberg’s past and what he is marketing himself as – an entrepreneur equivalent to Steve Jobs. Add to this the fact that he wants to give this incredible idea to the masses and you have the classic scenario of a power-hungry scientist who wants the world at his feet. Only time will tell what direction he really wants to pursue. I should explain that I am in no way one of those religious nuts, or any other sort of nut, who thinks science is out there to ruin our lives. On the contrary, the more science works with us, the better it will be for the human race and, indeed, every other living organism on this planet. Having said that, it is prudent to point out, if in 20 years you will be able to determine that your newborn should be a Van Gough, Beethoven or a Hawking by changing his or her genetic structure, we will have lost the uniqueness that we each possess as human beings.
It will only be a few more years before scientists are able to sequence the whole human genome for less than $1,000, according to The New York Times. In essence, this would provide our whole DNA blue print. While it will be a brilliant achievement, it will also raise questions of morality. Undoubtedly, the signs are ominous.
On the whole, for medical research and curing diseases, the cheaper the technology for DNA sequencing, the better. But it is of utmost importance to fully comprehend the thin line between research and a business proposition. Remember, it is our idiosyncrasies which make us unique and attractive, not our likeness.