Team addresses thorny ethical issues raised by genomic sequencing
ST. JOHN’S, N.L. — Genome sequencing offers patients the potential of speedier, more effective diagnoses and medications. But building a safe and secure system to store people’s unique genomic profiles is not a simple task.
A new project out of Memorial University in St. John’s is consulting the public on how to store genomic information, while still respecting people’s rights.
“When you are talking about storing genomes, storing people’s genetic and genomic data, you begin to think about OK, how are we going to do that in a way that is ethical, respects privacy laws, and still allows patients and their families to hopefully benefit from this sort of research,” said Holly Etchegary, a lead researcher on the e-genomics project.
She said an important step is ensuring the public understands what exactly a genome is.