Ethics: Should Genome Sequencing Be Allowed?
Knowledge is a Powerful Tool
Being able to sequence the Cavendish banana is useful: it saves many people from agricultural devastation, starvation, and the loss of a favorite snack. Genome sequencing can be applied to anything: saving endangered species, eliminating diseases. But with the amount of information genome sequencing can give about an organism also could lead to further destruction if placed in the wrong hands.
Oxford Nanopore created a USB device that had the ability to read long strands of DNA. Although it is scary to think about how one could have so much information in their hands, it still makes lots of mistakes and has a long way to go before we can go around sequencing people.
Many are afraid of discrimination in the workforce and the outside world, leading to little participation or support for genome sequencing advancements. There are also many discrimination laws in place to avoid it, such as the Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act (GINA).
Saving Lives or "Playing God"?
Because genome sequencing provides a lot information about organisms, there are many religions against sequencing and other technologies such as gene editing. The ability to change our genetic makeup, which is supposedly "in God's image", is sacrilegious and goes against many teachings, leading to major conflicts between religious leaders and scientists.
