And you, what mutations do you have?

2003/10/26 Agirre Ruiz de Arkaute, Aitziber - Elhuyar Zientzia

• Genetika

GeneChip is a small but large capacity device.

Just ten years ago few knew what a genetic mutation was. DNA, chromosomes... all were fat words. But transgenic foods, like Dolly or the Human Genome project have helped us understand genetics. And now we are knowing the other end of this story: genetics has also come to stores! You can already acquire a device that identifies all the mutations that each one has. At what price? It has been put on sale in the United States at a price of more than 100,000 dollars.

It is a small device, easily transportable in the pocket. But it has enormous potential: it is able to scan one by one thousands of genes present in our cells and identify in each of them uncommon components or nucleotides, that is, mutations. And, surprisingly, you can identify more than 120,000 mutations.

It has already been made for other species: Drosophila melanogaster fly, Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast and Escherichia coli bacteria also have their own genetic chip. In short, the genome of these species was sequenced before ours and for a few years the chips appeared on the market.

Human Post-Genome

E. coli bacteria already have their own GeneChip.

The Human Genome project was the result of international research. Then all the genes of our species were sequenced and therefore we have a genetic pattern of healthy human being. You can compare the genes of any person and see the differences that present the genes of each of us.

It recently took a lot of money and time to sequence a single gene, but today they have developed technology to do so in a short time. In fact, the chip has been designed to be used in research, but it has also been sought for commercial use. They will put it on sale for anyone who wants to buy. Commercial genomics born!

In fact, the Human Genome sequencing project involved a lot of money. Many researchers worked to sequence each chromosome and each gene in the shortest possible time. Once sequenced, they wanted to create in us the hope of curing all our diseases. And in some cases, even get it. Create hope, of course, not cure diseases. But taking advantage of this hope, GeneChip will be sold to more than one if he has money for it.

Type of mutation, disease

The Human Genome project has been the result of international research.

What is this device for? According to vendors, each person will be able to know what diseases they can develop. How and with a small device. It introduces several cells of a person and the chip scans all genes to identify the least change in each gene.

Mutations in genes are responsible for many serious diseases. If the protein generated from a gene is defective, it may function incorrectly. And if the protein does its job badly, it leaves out the job that another protein cannot do. Somehow, a level is not met in the cell's work chain. This causes a lack in the cell and therefore a disease.

Commercial use

The chip can identify mutations present on each chromosome.

However, scientists believe that commercial use of GeneChip is absurd. Although the entire human genome is sequenced, researchers still do not know what many of them are for. Its function in the cell. Without knowing it, what is it then to know what mutations each of us has in those genes? In short, it is very difficult to imagine the influence of many changes that occur in our genes. Even more so if the gene's function remains unknown.

Therefore, it can be very fashionable for everyone to know all the mutations of their chromosomes, but in practice it is of little use. Yes, as some make a collection of porcelain dolls, you might want to make your own mutation. Free choice.

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