Heated debate surrounds the ethics of the universities' decisions to analyze student DNA
This week, the University of California, Berkeley will mail saliva
sample kits to every incoming freshman and transfer student. Students
can choose to use the kits to submit their DNA for genetic analysis, as
part of an orientation program on the topic of personalized medicine.
But U.C. Berkeley isn't the only university offering its students
genetic testing. Stanford University's summer session
started two weeks ago, including a class on personal genomics that
gives medical and graduate students the chance to sequence their genotypes
and study the results.
The idea behind the two novel projects is that students will learn about
optimizing treatment based on one's genetic profile most effectively if
they are studying their own DNA—an idea that has met with both praise
for educational innovation and criticism centering on potential ethical
issues.
To read the full, original article click on this link: Exposing the Student Body: Stanford Joins U.C. Berkeley in Controversial Genetic Testing of Students: Scientific American
Author: Ferris Jabr
