Designer Babies

Have you ever wished you had a different eye colour, hair colour, or skin tone? You’ve probably already accepted that no one gets to choose what they look like. But what if we did?

As technology has progressed in recent years, a new term has surfaced: “designer baby”. This is defined as: “a baby whose genetic makeup has been artificially selected by genetic engineering combined with in vitro fertilization to ensure the presence or absence of particular genes or characteristics”. This selection involves a process called pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), which entails the creation of embryos by in-vitro fertilization. They’re then grown to the eight-cell stage, where one or two cells are removed; then scientists can look at the DNA for them for defects. Only “normal” embryos are put in the womb. This process makes it possible for certain traits to be determined by parents, at a price (it’s quite the costly procedure!). A clinic in LA even started offering eye and hair colour selection in 2009, but quickly retracted this due to a strong negative reaction from the public.

Of course, the popularization of this process has the potential to drastically change society as we know it. It would impact ethical and moral ideas about the conception of babies, children who have predetermined characteristics, and parents responsible for selecting these traits. It could become a common procedure done by almost anyone (even those who disagreed at first, due to pressure from others). Wouldn’t it be odd to have baby books with spaces for lists of traits chosen for you and the name of the scientist who engineered you? This may seem far-fetched now, but it’s realistic to say that in the next few decades, this could become true to life.

My Opinion:

I believe that when people decide to have a child, they should willingly accept all of its traits, good or bad. I think people who wish to select the certain physical and personality traits of their children shouldn’t be having children at all. Doing so is like telling the world you’re only going to love your child if they measure up to your meticulous standards. It’s disappointing to see that humans may have become this shallow.

I think designer babies would suffer emotionally. I think they’d question their parents' love for them and feel increased pressure to live up to standards made for them before they were conceived. Even if their genetic makeup was chosen in order to benefit someone else, there could still be emotional distress involved. For example, the novel My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult expressed feelings of a (fictional) designer baby, Anna, who struggles with being designed to save her sister, having limited control over her body because of this and feelings of guilt when she wishes to discontinue procedures. Parents may be doing such things in the best interest of their children, but is it worth it when their children are likely to be hurt anyways? I think not.

Sources:

• http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/life/genetic/designer-children.htm
• http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/science/genetics/article6978400.ece
• http://www.buzzle.com/articles/pros-and-cons-of-designer-babies.html
• http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s2515351.htm
• http://www.actionbioscience.org/biotech/agar.html
• (Click images for their sources) 

My comments can be found on these entries:

• http://jessy3149.blogspot.com/2010/11/i-asked-for-blue-eyed-baby.html#comments
• http://graceelkhechen.blogspot.com/2010/11/designer-babies-future-generation.html#comments

International Barcode of Life and its Role in Biodiversity

Negative consequences of human interaction are frequently publicized. Biodiversity, specifically, is extremely important to the survival and well-being of our planet and is often the victim of negative human interaction. However, many people realize the importance of taking the necessary steps to work toward an environmentally friendly future. Scientists have come together from all over the world to do so, their co-operation unquestionably deserving of acknowledgment and interest.

The University of Guelph’s researchers proposed a new system of species identification through a paper in 2003. This technique used a very short genetic sequence and was similar to a supermarket scanner’s way of using black stripes to identify a product. The single mind behind the first proposal of the idea was researcher and faculty member of U of G, Paul Hebert (pictured right). A positive response and brisk advancement led to what would set the stage for the official activation of the International Barcode of Life in October 2010. 

The International Barcode of Life (iBOL) project is a global campaign involving 26 countries' scientists and technicians. A reference library for all multi-cellular life is being produced with the use of DNA barcode technology. The collaboration will be the accumulation of DNA barcodes from over five million specimens from five hundred thousand species. iBOL’s main mission is the extension of coverage of its barcode reference library, as well as the provision of community access to this information and the creation of new technology that will guarantee it can be accessed globally. The activation of this project by scientists at major international research facilities is giving biodiversity science the attention and major investments it was not receiving previously. Once the identification system is put into operation, it will be able to put forth societal impacts and interaction with biodiversity. This means that resource management, conservation, education, research, and pest and disease control will be more effectively and closely monitored. It is also predicted that a crucial role in the regulation of trade in protected or endangered species and products will be played by barcoding. The barcode system will also utilize organisms to seek out early warning signs of change or damage in an environment, improving the circumstances for all species in possibly dangerous situations. Our capability of not only knowing, but also more intimately observing biodiversity is being revolutionized by DNA barcoding.
 
My Opinion

I think it's amazing that this library can be compiled and DNA can be scanned in such a way. Before discovering this project, I had no idea that this was even happening. I'm glad that more attention is being given to all species, and not just a select few that are already in danger. I believe that this system can be used affectively to improve the relationship between ecosystems and humans. It may also bring to light situations or problems that were never properly recognized before. I hope that this project will increase human awareness on the impact they have, specifically on the ecosystems in their own community. 

References:

• "Background – A Brief History of Species Identification." IBOL. International Barcode of Life, 2010. Web. 01 Oct. 2010. <http://ibol.org/about-us/background/>.
• "How IBOL Works." IBOL. International Barcode of Life, 2010. Web. 01 Oct. 2010. <http://ibol.org/about-us/how-ibol-works/>.
• "What Is IBOL? – What Is the Purpose of the International Barcode of Life Project?" IBOL. International Barcode of Life, 2010. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. <http://ibol.org/about-us/what-is-ibol/>.
• "What Is DNA Barcoding? « Barcode of Life." Identifying Species with DNA Barcoding « Barcode of Life. CBOL, 2010. Web. 01 Oct. 2010. <http://www.barcodeoflife.org/what-is-dna-barcoding/>.

My comments can be found on these entries: 
http://jessy3149.blogspot.com/2010/09/david-suzuki-foundation_26.html#comments
http://biomeggs.blogspot.com/2010/09/human-intervention-is-bad-and-good.html#comments