National DNA Day 2007

by Dr. Hsien-Hsien Lei
Posted April 25, 2007 in DNA in General

One of the more interesting features of DNA Day is the online chatroom where people can ask geneticists questions. Here’s one of the questions I saw when I popped in:

Q: sophie and marielle, spanish river high school: What is DNA profiling?

A: Barbara Fuller: DNA profiling essentially means making an assumption about someone based on their DNA, and without any other characteristics. For example, making a determination on someone’s appearance based on their DNA – when their actual appearance may be very different from what you suspected. [Posted: 1:47PM EST]

What the @#! I don’t believe we’re talking about racial or criminal profiling, Ms. Fuller (who I believe is a lawyer holding a JD). DNA profiling refers to DNA fingerprinting – studying a person’s DNA to identify their unique pattern as a way to match them up with other DNA samples or other people. Dr. Michael Baden has an extensive write-up on DNA profiling at the website of crime writer and forensic anthropologist Dr. Kathy Reichs.

Here’s another “good” one from Ms. Fuller:

Q: St. Ignatius College Prep High School: How does one go about patenting a gene? When new information is constantly altering our understanding of genes/control, is it practical to patent a gene?

A: Barbara Fuller: Patenting a gene means you have not only identified the scientific values for the gene, but you have also identified the functions of the gene. You are correct that new information is constantly altering our understanding of genes, but there are scientifically proven and substantiated qualities that should not change with further research. [Posted: 2:01PM EST]

Hate to break it to everyone, but you don’t have to know what a gene or genetic mutation does to patent it. (Here’s more about gene patents.) As for practicality, megacorps don’t care, they have plenty of resources to protect what they consider intellectual property. Also, I am certain that what we know about our genes and our genomes will definitely change. Just yesterday we were ooh-ing and ahh-ing over copy number variants and then there’s the matter of epigenetics.

Next year I’ve got to get myself on the panel that answers questions for DNA Day and tell these kids straight-up what’s what about genetics.

Tags: dna day, genetics, genes, genome, dna, human genome project, kathy reichs

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