Human Genome Project - Essay Example

Human Genome Project It is understood, that the decoding of the human genome is an epoch-making discovery of the past century. However, how will the medicine use this knowledge? What will it bring to the humanity? It will be better to emphasize, how the genomics will influence the science itself. It is hard to imagine, but it is the beginning of a long way in the pharmacology, which will lead to the creation of a great variety of drugs with new properties and effects. Between the genome decoding and the appearance of new wonder, medicine is a great distance to reach. Usually, it takes about 10-12 years to test, to create the proper medicaments, and to release them on sale. However, what we have today, is the decoded genome only, and the human body contains about 30 000 different genes. The information about the albumen molecules is very shallow, and unfortunately, we do not know yet, to which function does it corresponds to. It could be one molecule, acting as a multi-functional unit, or vice-versa, and we can hardly imagine the variety of combinations, that can occur. Moreover, we do not have the right to use one protein molecule as a pharmacological target only (Strachan and Read, pp. 221). More than 60 years ago, doctor J. Craig Venter, well-known as a scientist, who struggles for his right to be the first in the total decoding the human genome. The human genome comprise more than milliard of nucleotides, the elements, which form the structure of the genetic code of every human species. In 1990, Venter became a leader of his own private company “Celera Genomics”, which did it best to be the first in the genome decryption, it was competing with the federal program the “Human Genome Project”, which was getting its financing from the United States government. However, both sides acknowledged their draw in the year 2000 (Khoury et al, pp.17-18). After Dr. Venter has left the “Celera Genomics”, as he did not share the business strategy of the company, he uncovered the truth that more than half of the decrypted genes were his own. At present, he is the head of his own non-commercial scientific center in Rockville, Maryland. In addition, their last achievement was total decryption of Venters genome. As a usual person, Dr. Venter has six milliard nucleotides, which form thousand of genes, subdivided into 46 chromosomes. The genes represent a manual that has the detailed description of the body function; they produce proteins that are responsible for nearly everything in our organism, i.e. for the height, or the eye color, the body shape, proportions, etc. The scientists from the Venter’s institute have a close approach to his full genome decryption. J. Craig Venter is planning to transform his genetic code in a form of a computer database. Additionally, he has already published his book “A Life Decoded”, where he tells us his autobiography, describes his medical practice in Vietnam, two divorces and what has he discovered in his own DNA. OCA2 gene that is Venters 15th chromosome that is presumably responsible for his blue eye color. Some other genes, Venter points out, may refer to his life endurance, another one may have connections with the coronary occlusion – this is, probably, the inherited gene from his father, who died in the age of 59 from the heart disease. The D4 receptor in the Venters genome shows us, that he has the risk to have a heart attack (Roach and Miller, pp.17-18). Dr. Venter assumes, that his project will help to create first full human genome map of the concrete person. “Celera Genomics” and the “Human Genome Project”, instead, has mapped several people and made a common map of the human genome. Nevertheless, the 99% of all genes are identical for every human being, but this small variety of genes in our bodies makes us unique. Some minds, may state, that Dr. Venters project is a kind of egoism, but not the project, that is hard working in the name of science. “The common scientific rule states, that one should not do experiments on themselves, - Philip Green says, the professor of Genome Sciences in the Washington university in Seattle” (Green, 186). Moreover, critics concern, that Dr. Venters genome map will not cost any great scientific value, as it represents only one genome. Genome scientists need the data of a great variety of people, to make proper conclusions on how to connect the genes with some diseases. However, J. Craig Venter (pp. 23-25) declines such criticism, declaring, that his genome map is only the beginning among the future one. In practice, Dr. Venter has a good support for his ideas. The Harvard University has chosen seven students that were glad to participate in the DNA decryption of the “Individual Genome Project”. One of the Californian funds proposed a grant, worth 10 million dollars for those, who will be able to develop quick mapping process of the individual genome map. In this scientific contest, well-known individuals such as Larry King, financier Michael Milken, and Steven Hawking - a great physicist have been major contributors. In this regard, the leading explorers should do a great service to a society, publishing their own gene map. However, the decryption of the human genome will make a certain danger for a person to confront discrimination, and disclose his or her facts regarding the possible health risks. Some hiring companies will not hire people, that are genetically predisposed to some diseases, that will cost a lot to cure, and that medical insurance companies will suffer from (Cox and Sinclair, pp. 91-96). The DNA decoding is not an easy task. Minor differences in its structure may stand for intellect, appearance and health risks. However, there are rare cases, when such circumstances may happen. After examination of Dr. Venters genome, it came out, that only one copy of his genes, that is marked as CFH has a kind of mutation, i.e. not a usual structure of nucleotides. The scientists from the Yale University connected this mutation with a high risk of a macula lutea dystrophy – a common eye disease that causes blindness. The majority of human genes are represented with two copies, each one inherited from parents. In Venters case, only one copy of the CFH gene has a mutation - it means that his chance to get blind has increased in four times. If the mutation were discovered in both genes, than the risk would have increased in 10 times. Unfortunately, there is no chance to prevent such fears (Venter, pp. 339). With the genome decryption, new scientific problems arise, and new spheres of science such as proteomics and bioinformatics have come to solve these questions. They are connected mainly with the detailed study of the decrypted genomes – the protein molecules, discovering their active centers, and clarifying their physiological function. Biochemists will call this a prepharmacological work stage (Coleman and Tsongalis, pp. 106). Conclusively, the paper has discussed some of the significant aspects of human genome project. It is an expectation that the paper will be beneficial for students, teachers, and professionals in better understanding of the topic. Works Cited Coleman, B. William, Tsongalis, J. Gregory. Molecular diagnostics: for the clinical laboratories. Humana Press, 2006. Cox, M. Timothy, Sinclair, John. Molecular biology in medicine. Wiley-Blackwell, 1997 Ewing, B., Green P. Basecalling of automated sequencer traces using Phred. II. Error probabilities. Birkhäuser, 2005. Khoury, J. Muin, Little, J., Burke, W. Human genome epidemiology: a scientific foundation for using genetic information to improve health and prevent disease. Oxford University Press US, 2004. Roach, Steve Ewell, Miller, S. Van. Neurocutaneous Disorders. Cambridge University Press, 2004. Strachan, T., Read, P. Andrew. Human Molecular Genetics 3. Garland Science, 2004 Venter, Craig J. A life Decoded. Penguin, 2008. Read More