George Church: "Genome sequencing is like the internet back in the late 1980s."

The pioneering geneticist on why he wants us to earn money by sharing our genomic data, his plans to resurrect the woolly mammoth and how narcolepsy helps him generate ideas• How can I make money from my DNA?A new genetic testing company calledNebula Genomics wants to help people profit from their own genomes. The Observer talks to Harvard University DNA sequencing pioneer George Church about his latest venture, what ’s cooking in his lab and how falling asleep on the job can sometimes be a godsend.What is the value of getting your genome sequenced? Why do it?One very compelling argument that I think justifies almost everybody in the population getting sequenced is reproductive decision making: who to date, who to marry, whether or not to have gamete [egg/sperm] donors. Anybody that is of reproductive age, whether they intend to or not, are at risk of producing 5% of babies that are very severely affected with genetic disorders. Longer term, sequencing can enable the development of therapies that could provide years of enhanced quality of life.Continue reading...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: Genetics Science Biology Medical research Stem cells Source Type: news