Personal Genome Project – Personalized Medicine and Maybe Food Too?

This may not occur in my lifetime, but as the PGP project continues, use of data that has not been analyzed before might be reflecting what we eat someday when dining out. Business Intelligence in healthcare and science softwaree is doing exactly that, using and analyzing data that has already been accumulated, but has not been analyzed for additional information, so maybe one day we will have a “food” guide that will be capable of delivering that information to us as well.

With gathering additional genomic information, healthcare stands to further thrive and grow as we add more to the pot, and with genomics, this is a lot of information that needs some real high powered software and hardware to accomplish all of this to sift through and get the desired information. Next, of course is how the material is interpreted and how we make it work for us. Once we can progress past the side of such information with risk management being used against us, it will more than likely flourish, but today’s system as set up leaves many ill at ease for participation. Sure there are laws, but do they have teeth? As new revelations are announced almost every day, they can’t keep up, which adds more substance to the fact that the current system of healthcare and so many of the catch 22s are not benefiting the entire scenario with a group that is focused on the same ultimate goal. Fear and money are still 2 of the biggest obstacles in attaining the goals. BD

The Personal Genome Project collects and decodes personal genetic information with the goal of identifying and treating diseases to which individuals might be susceptible. Church hopes that by making participants’ stem cell lines available (through hair samples they donate), researchers will be able to reprogram those cells for resistance to viruses, cancers or even aging. If the person were to succumb to a particular disease or needed a transplant, they could potentially rely on their own cells to create organs.

Church also foresees personalization of everything from medication to restaurant service to education as a result of genome sequencing.

The project began with 10 volunteers, called the PGP-10, all of whom are professionally involved in genetic development. They each provided saliva and hair samples, which were sequenced and posted, along with their medical records, on the project’s Web site. With only 10 volunteers, the possibility for legitimate "discovery" was limited. But Church hopes that, as the project grows, the scientific findings will broaden to allow insights into everything from disease risks to behavioral tendencies such as being clumsy.

Personal Genome Project looking for next wave of volunteers for an entire sequencing

Personal Genome Project opens doors to individualized health care and more

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