2005 National DNA Day Online Chatroom Transcript
This is just one question from an archive of the National DNA Day Moderated Chat held in April 2005. The NHGRI Director and many genomics experts from across NHGRI took questions from students, teachers and the general public on topics ranging from basic genomic research, to the genetic basis of disease, to ethical questions about genetic privacy.
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Should scientists/corporations have the right to patent genes? What impact does/will this have on genetic research?
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Vence Bonham, J.D.: The purpose of a patent is to provide an incentive (in the form of a time-limited monopoly) to encourage the commercializing of technological innovation. However, when someone patents a genetic sequence, he/she can exclude others from making, using, or selling any tests based on detection of the gene and/or particular mutations in the gene. Consequently, this makes the patent on a gene much more powerful and valuable than many other patents and can cause a limit in the sharing of research knowledge. The International Human Genome Project put its data in the public domain. All the sequence information acquired from the Human Genome Project was immediately deposited into databases that can be assessed on the World Wide Web. |
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