Showing posts with label unethical. Show all posts
Showing posts with label unethical. Show all posts

Saturday, November 20, 2021

Europe’s Roma people are vulnerable to poor practice in genetics

In this article, it had mentioned that numerous journalistic and scientific reports in recent years have increased awareness concerning the unethical misuse of DNA databases. In Europe, there are between 10 and 12 million Roma people. The word Roma was used in the 1980s to replace labels such as 'Gypsy,' which were deemed offensive in many European nations. Since the 1990s, DNA has been obtained from thousands of Roma individuals all around Europe. Researchers have evaluated over 450 publications produced between 1921 and 2021 during the last five years. In the last three decades, over two-thirds of these papers have been published. Researchers also searched five public databases for DNA information on Roma people. The Y-STR Haplotype Reference Database (YHRD), the Allele Frequency Net Database (AFND), the Allele Frequency Database (ALFRED), the Estonian Biocentre Human Genome Diversity Panel (EGDP), and the European DNA Profiling Group's Mitochondrial DNA Population Database are among them (EMPOP). For example, the incorporation of Y-STR analysis is used in many ways, including examining Y-chromosomal short tandem repeat polymorphisms (Y-STRs) haplotypes to distinguish paternal lineages of undiscovered male trace donors, and are especially useful when both men and females are added to the same evidence. Samples have been gathered from people including prisoners without proper consent or any record of consent in many situations, notably in the late twentieth century, and subsequently shared between research organizations or stored in public databases. In other research, Roma people were approached by medical practitioners who assigned an ethnic designation to specific data sets and then shared the individuals' personal information with researchers. Many people from genetically isolated societies are vulnerable to de-anonymization for a variety of reasons, particularly those with unique genetic diseases. It is doubtful that Roma people, like many other underprivileged groups, would gain from the collection of their DNA. The creation of rare illness treatments based on data from genetically isolated groups might, in theory, help such communities' people. Yet, in the case of Roma people, scientists have yet to identify an example of really cooperative research, such as incorporating members of the community or initiatives to increase the population's access to health care, including medications that may already be accessible. Hopefully, ethical breaches in sample collection and associated overrepresentation in databases accessed by law enforcement agencies — which are indicative of a problem with "morally reprehensible uses" of DNA databases — will be reduced among the thousands of minority groups that are often victimized.

Monday, October 21, 2013

Artist Creates 3-D Faces from DNA Left in Public

3-D faces created from DNA samples found in public. 

                A New York Artist Heather Dewey-Hagborg picks up things people leave in public, extracts their DNA from it and creates a 3-D face that looks like the DNA owner. This project is called “Stranger Visions”, where portrait sculptures are completed from the bits of genetic material that are collected in public. Heather got the idea for this project from the appeal of a single hair; it was then turned into a research project to discover as much as she could from someone by an artifact they left behind.
                The process begins with finding a sample in a public place. These samples could be a strand of hair, a chewed piece of gum, and even a cigarette butt; it has to be something that contains cells from a person’s body.  Heather then takes this sample to a community biotechnology, called Genspace. At this lab a standard DNA extraction protocol is used to mine the DNA, purify it, and use it in polymerase chain reactions. After the sequencing information is obtained, the traits form the individual’s DNA and deposits it into a computer program that generates a 3-D model of a face. This process takes about 8 hours to print one of the faces in NYU’s Advanced Media Studio. The print looks like a block of powder; the face is then dug out, baked, and hardened with a superglue-like structure.

From everyday objects, she creates a 3D model of faces, using genetic code to determine eye color, facial shapes, and ethnicity. The DNA also reveals things like height and weight.
                
                There are limitations behind these masterpieces. These faces are not exact replicas of the strangers DNA that has been found. Heather insists that it is more of a family resemblance. Also, the age of the DNA’s unknown donor cannot be determined from the DNA samples. This project was started from Dewey-Hagborg’s own DNA self-portrait two years ago. People have had different opinions of how the DNA is found for these portraits; some people feel that this is unethical. People feel that you should not be able to just take some ones DNA from things just because it is in public. They feel that their privacy is being taken advantage of. This art project is the connection between art, technology, and science. 

               I found this absolutely amazing. If is extraordinary that just from a piece of gum or strand of hair someone can make a 3-D image of what you would look like. In a way I do find it to be a little creepy. It makes you think twice what you will spit out or leave behind. The persons DNA that you are using did not give you permission to use it, though it is left in a public place. I feel that this could cause a lot of controversy with people. But, in all I think this is brilliant and I would love to have it done to me, with my permission.