Human Genome Project?

Question

As part of the Human Genome Project, researchers are determining the nucleotide sequences of human genes and identifying the proteins coded by the genes. Labs on the U.S. national Institutes of Health, for example, have worked out thousands of sequences, and similar anaylysis is being carried out by many private companies. Knowing the neucleotide sequence of a gene and identifying its product can be useful;this information might be used to treat genetic defects or droduce life-saving medicines. The U.S. law allows the first person or research group to isolate a pure protein or a gene to patent it, whether or not a practical use for the discovery has been demonstarted. THe NIH and biotechnology companies have applied for patents on their discoveries. What are the purposes of a patent? How might the public benefit? What kinds of negative impacts might result from patenting genes? Do you think individuals and companies should be able to patent genes and gene products? why or why not?

Answer 1

They shouldn't be able to patent something that exists in nature - ie a naturally-occurring gene or protein. However, if they discover a mutation that confers a disease, then they invent a method of correcting that mutation, or synthesise a drug that overcomes the problem caused by the problem, that should be patentable.

Answer 2

Talking first about patenting inventions in general...

If you patent an invention, such as the microprocessor, you can do 3 things with it....

1. Sell the patent to someone else (an individual or company), giving up all rights to it yourself.

2. Sell an exclusive license to a single company to produce products using the patented invention (microprocessor).

3. Sell non-exclusive licenses to as many companies as you like to produce products using the patented invention (microprocessor).

A patent allows you to sue someone in court if someone is using your invention without your permission. However, many inventors don't have the money to defend their invention against an unlimited number of people using it without permission and often sell it outright to a big company that can defend it.

The public might benefit from allowing gene patents because it gives firms a big financial insentive to identify genes becasue they will get the license fees, which then makes it more likely that diagnostic tests and drugs and other treatments will be developed. Without the prospect of getting a valuable patent, a company may not be prepared to spend a lot of money on identifying a gene.

An advantage of a patent is that details of the invention must be published, not kept as a trade-secret within the organisation that discovered the gene. This can form a platform for further or related research.

One negative aspect is that a drug company may not think it economic to develop a drug, if it thinks the patent license fee is too high.

Another negative aspect is that it deters 2 or 3 or more firms reseaching the same thing if they think there is only going to be one financial winner. This stifles scientific discovery.

Answer 3

What are the purposes of a patent?
So the company or person will hold rights over that gene and no one else can use it without permission.

How might the public benefit?
The public will not benefit from them being able to patent a gene.

What kinds of negative impacts might result from patenting genes?
If a company owns a gene and another company comes up with a treatment for something and they need that gene to test it on and the company who owns the gene says no then the public could lose out on a cure because the owners could be selfish and money hungry with their gene.

Do you think individuals and companies should be able to patent genes and gene products? why or why not?

No reasons given above.

Answer 4

> What are the purposes of a patent?
To allow the inventor to profit from his discovery, and control it, for a period of 20 years.

> How might the public benefit?
Causes people to be more interested in inventing things for profit, and thereby possibly increases the frequency with which things are invented. *shrug*

> What kinds of negative impacts might result from patenting genes?
Someone may "squat" on a gene that he has no interest in "developing" a use for, thereby making others less interested in working with this "taken" gene.

> Do you think individuals and companies should be able to patent genes and gene products?
No. They occur in nature, and thus should not be patentable.

Answer 5

the point of patenting genes is being able to make products from it. if you can isolate, for example, the gene for hair protein, you can create a product for people without that gene that can help them to naturally grow hair by injecting the gene. of course, this would be helpful to people who don't have hair, or other people who need stuff like that. insulin is actually created artificially this way.
the patent helps companies create products to solve these problems. negative: low competition for the companies to produce a good product.
they should be able to because it's hard to isolate a gene, and even harder to win back your money once everybody else has their hands on the sequence.

Answer 6

"Do you think individuals and companies should be able to patent genes and gene products? "
Absolutely positively NO! There enlies the problem. Pharm. co's have already been allowed to patent genetic discovery and therefore have stymied any other reaserchers. Make me sick to think that they are hold our health, hostage.
Also note the einstiens of the scientific community predicted in 78 that it would only take 10-15 years to map the entire human genome. , , ,? , well they haven't even got half way through it.
Did you know that a teaspoon of human DNA strands would stretch from earth to the moon and back?
Hardly the kind of stuff that came from happenstance of primordial soup and a lucky lightning strike.

Answer 7

They discovered/created it ,it's their to profit from