UC Berkeley drops plans to release personal genetic information to incoming freshmen
By Lisa Krieger,
San Jose Mercury News
| 08. 12. 2010
[Quotes CGS's Jesse Reynolds]
The University of California Berkeley has dropped plans to release personal genetic information to incoming freshmen, following instruction by state officials.
The educational program, called "Bring Your Genes to Cal," came under fire by the California Department of Public Health because of state rules prohibiting gene testing outside a medical setting.
Health officials ruled Wednesday that the university could not proceed because it failed to obtain a physician's order for each student and process samples at a state-approved lab for analysis. The laws are designed to assure accuracy and quality of medical tests.
About 700 of the 5,500 incoming students have already sent in samples, on a voluntary and anonymous basis, to participate in what was intended to be a way to teach students about the growing role of genetics in daily life. In addition to the tests, it planned to provide lectures and discussions with ethicists, statisticians, biologists and philosophers about gene testing.
At a Thursday news conference, UC Berkeley professor of genetics Jasper Rine said that while the university still plans to analyze the DNA samples in a...
Related Articles
By Annika Inampudi, Science | 08.01.2025
In June, Sara* received a message asking whether she wanted to continue to participate in a massive, multicenter research project led by scientists at Aarhus University in Denmark. The iPsych study, the message said, had sequenced her genetic data from...
The Center for Genetics and Society is delighted to recommend the current edition of GMWatch Review – Number 589. UK-based GMWatch, a long-standing ally, was founded in 1998 by Jonathan Matthews as an independent organization seeking to counter the enormous corporate political power and propaganda of the GMO industry and its supporters. Matthews and Claire Robinson are its directors and managing editors.
CGS works to ensure that social justice, equity, human rights, and democratic governance are front...
By Katherine Drabiak, Journal of Medical Ethics Forum | 08.07.2025
Adapted from Mitochondrial DNA at
National Human Genome Research Institute
Recently, media outlets around the world have been reporting on children born from pronuclear genome transfer (sometimes called “3-parent IVF,” “mitochondrial donation” or “mitochondrial replacement therapy”) at Newcastle Fertility Center...
By Annika Inampudi, Science | 07.10.2025
Before a baby in the United States reaches a few days old, doctors will run biochemical tests on a few drops of their blood to catch certain genetic diseases that need immediate care to prevent brain damage or other serious...
