Iceland

Who are these people who have agreed to turn over their genetic and medical secrets to a research database? It's the people of Iceland. With the authorization of that island-nation's parliament, an Icelandic company, deCODE, has been collecting the data.

The proposal was a controversial one due to fears about privacy, discrimination, or other problems that could arise when such detailed personal information is collected and stored in computer databases. But those in favor say that because the Icelanders are much alike, and because they've collected much genealogical information about themselves, they make an excellent resource for scientists searching through the chromosomes for genes related to disease.

Just recently, for example, the project generated a very highly detailed genetic map of the human genome, a map filled with markers that work like signposts to help scientists looking for disease-related genes.

July 27, 2002

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