Human Genome Diversity Project

First, I was remiss in thanking people for the numerous gift cards.  They have kept me fed, watered and caffinated for a week and a half now.

I wanted to tell you about an issue we talked about the past few days. 

The Human Genome Diversity Project.

Basically there is an international research project that has interest in looking at isolated communities (primarily indigenous communities) and taking blood samples under the guise that they are doing diabetes testing, but in reality they patent their genes for future scientific findings that are propietary in nature. 

Essentially, they lay claim to indigenous genes that may have the key to curing some types of diseases or conditions, producing the pharmaseutical remedy and profiting from it.

The issues we discussed was 'who owns the blood cells'?  In that do they constitute personal property?  And also if those cells can be used for scientific experiment if the people who have given blood were not told exactly what it was being used for?

Essentially there was a court opinion in California that said nope you don't own your blood once it leaves your body, but the doctor ought to tell you what is being used for.  The opinion isn't holding up in reality - doctors continue to claim that they are taking blood to help, especially this group of isolated indigenous people in Colombia, then patening the rights to the blood.

It also happened in Oklahoma - meaning its coming closer to Canada.

Lesson - everytime someone asks to take your blood for whatever reason, ask them to give you all of the reasons they want it.

Check out a documentary named 'Gene Hunters' or a book named 'Global Biopiracy' if you are interested.