Human Genome Project: Ethical, Legal, And Social Implications

The main goals of the Human Genome Project (HGP) were to complete an accurate sequence of the 3 billion DNA pairs that made up the human genome. The project was also aimed to develop new tools that obtain and analyze data; it was also aimed to make information available to not just officials but the public as well. This is because any advances in genetics will affect individuals in society. The HGP decided to explore the consequences of genomic research through its Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications (ELSI) program. The HGP began in 1987 with the motive of needing to know what drives all basic science. There was much competition between the private sector and the public sector, with J. Craig Venter leading the private sector effort. By 1998 Venter had established Celera Genomics, with sequencing capacity fifty times greater than The Institute for Genomic Research. By June 17, 2000, he accounted for ninety percent of the human genome. Once the technology of gene sequencing is available to the public, the confidential information will spread like wildfire. First your doctor will …show more content…
CODIS is currently used for solving crimes and that’s exactly what it should be used for. When DNA evidence is used, it is much less likely for an innocent person to be convicted. The Combined DNA Index System should be used to put guilty people in jail and to keep innocent people out of jail. It is believed that using CODIS interferes with Fourth Amendment rights of people. The Fourth Amendment of The U.S. Constitution protects people from illegal search and seizure (Fourth Amendment, Title 1). CODIS does not conflict with Fourth Amendment rights because people who are in CODIS previously committed a crime and their DNA is not being taken away from them