Misunderstandings retard growth of personal genomics

Readers of Nature, we can assume, are bright and insatiably curious. So why have so few obtained and interpreted their own genome sequence? We should avoid being judgmental of people who practice genomic modesty or who choose not to act on genome information, but we should also ask if we are providing adequate and equal access to education about the benefits and risks of genome information.

For 7 years I led one of the teams registered to compete for the $10-million Archon Genomics X Prize, and I was naturally disappointed by the abrupt cancellation of the competition in August. However, the confusion surrounding the X Prize does provide an occasion to reflect on the problems and misunderstandings in genomics.

Read the full, original story here: Improving genome understanding

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Additional Resources:

• “Genome sequencing: fear of the known,” ReporterNews
• “What happened when I had my genome sequenced,” Guardian