Sequencing the genomes of 100’000 volunteers and relate them to respective phenomes by massive data crunching: A promising way of decoding some of the last mysteries of human beeing. What genetic disposition is responsible for lung cancer, where does lactose intolerance come from, why do my feet stink after hiking?
The effort is undertaken by the Personal Genome Project run by George Church whose website can be reached here.
The complete genomes and medical records of the volunteers are going to be published. Of course, this is raising privacy issues. In the opinion of George Church, personal information should not be private and sacred because it is meaningless and little more than trivia: “It is a philosophical exercise in what identity is and why we should care about that.”
More: Wired: How the Personal Genome Project Could Unlock the Mysteries of Life, PGP at Wikipedia
