Sun, 27 May 2007
Michael
Ashburner, a geneticist Professor of Biology at Cambridge
University and former joint-head of the European Bioinformatics
Institute (EBI),
points
out:
'Anyone who commits relatively minor offences can
have their DNA taken
and analysed. At present, the main use of this process is to create a
DNA fingerprint that can be used to identify that individual. But soon
we will be able to create an entire genome sequence of that individual
from a swab or blood sample. We will end up knowing everything about
their genes. In the end, we could have millions of people on a database
and know every single genetic secret of each person. That has to be a
very worrying prospect.'
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