Biological excitement: the international and Australian revolution in genetic science

• fairness in use of genetic information
• privacy and confidentiality
• psychological impact/stigmatisation
• reproductive decisions (embryo selection)
• uncertainties of genetic tests for complex conditions
• safety and environmental issues
• human responsibility vs genetic determinism

These are all important issues brought into sharp focus by developments in gene technology and biological research, but many are not new. For example, our family medical history can today be an issue with insurance and social isolation. Issues around patents and achieving a balance between commercial incentives and public good are not restricted to genetic discoveries.

So, our real concerns are much broader and revolve not so much around whether or not someone might be hurt or disadvantaged by a rapidly and not yet well understood technology, but rather by the fact that, as our genome is the blueprint of the human machine, it is at the very core of who we are.

We are concerned at the philosophical implications. It may change the sense of who we are. We will need to make difficult choices that we are very uncomfortable with, but the biggest fear is that of losing control over humanity's future. The long term consequences of being able to play a direct role in our own evolution are not things we can plan, because it involves the shape of technologies that we cannot yet see and the values of future humans we cannot yet understand.

The real danger is to succumb to these fears and to unduly delay these advances. They cannot be stopped. Think of the untold suffering that would have occurred if the development of antibiotics or of a polio vaccine had been delayed for a decade.

Fear of the unknown is nothing new; it is an important element of human nature. It is therefore more critical today than ever that scientists work in partnership with the broader Australian community to share the vision of what a thriving science base and associated industries can create for our county. At the same time we need to acknowledge, respect and address the very real concerns that many people have, not just about human genetics and stem cells, but also GM foods and biotechnology in general.

Australia

There are many compelling reasons why Australia should be in the vanguard of these changes.

We have a strong research base, our health system costs are under enormous pressure (on recent trends they will rise from $45 billion to over $90 billion in the next 20 years), our population is ageing, with quality of life issues of paramount importance, and there is an opportunity for biotechnology to deliver enormous social and economic benefits to our community.

These developments will dramatically change the economics of health care and provide a myriad of commercial, as well as social, opportunities for the next generation. It is therefore crucial that the next generation more actively embraces science as it sits at the centre of our future prosperity and well being.