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“What the Genome Revolution Could Mean for Me and the Rio Grande Valley.”

In a technological society so enveloped in materialism and aesthetic-appeal, a revolution that offered to perfect our futures would seem to appeal to everyone. Although the United States is superior in all aspects of technology, many parts of the nation have fallen behind. With such a lack of exposure to advanced scientific developments (Computer illiteracy continues to rise and one must travel outside the Valley to receive medical care for uncommon or critical conditions) in an area that is not rapidly progressing towards mainstream American society, the impact of the Genome Revolution will either create copious benefits or massive resistance.

Although scientists have been able to decode and alter the gene sequence of animals for over thirty years, society may not be prepared for this medical technology to be applied to humans. Such an advancement would allow doctors to predict medical problems that are likely to occur in their patients’ futures, thus allowing people to make lifestyle changes “before it’s too late” -- changes that would decrease or even prevent conditions and diseases such as high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, cancer and Downs Syndrome that are so prevalent in the Rio Grande Valley. Unfortunately, opportunistic doctors seeking lucrative rewards could prescribe unnecessary medicines or needless treatments and surgeries by knowing a person’s risk-zones. Because so many Valley citizens have been exploited and injured by “prestigious” doctors even during routine procedures such as laser-eye-surgery and liposuction, it is likely that during the Genome Revolution, even more catastrophic problems will occur.

Before giving birth, many pregnant patients in Valley hospitals choose to undergo experimental procedures that may cure their infants but are potentially fatal to both mother and child. Society deems this type of surgery ethical. However for babies in utero, there is a chasm between the treatment for conditions such as spina bifada and the alteration of physical features. Citizens of the Rio Grande Valley, particularly religiously-affiliated ones, seem to be extremely sensitive on the subject of “playing God” with human reproduction. Billboards lining Valley highways as well as church signs on city streets carry anti-abortion messages and the conventional wisdom rejects Planned Parenthood. The strong anti-stem-cell research movement is carried through ignorance because Valley citizens are uninformed of the science’s positive effects. Certainly using genome sequencing for alteration in reproduction, much less for cloning, would be strongly resisted, yet once instituted would be positively accepted. Perhaps Hispanic families will give birth to olive-skinned, azure-eyed children who will no longer carry the common hereditary diabetes gene. Perhaps young pregnant women will not fear that their children will be born with birth defects and there will be a drastic decrease in abortion rates. And perhaps churches may have to reconsider their ideology on “playing God” through genetic sequencing.

Because large numbers of Valley families are covered by Medicaid and do not see health insurance costs coming directly from their paychecks, they may be unconcerned about the side effects of genome technology. Whenever medical advances such as sonograms, CATSCAN technology, and advanced heart-monitoring systems are made, there are raises in medical insurance premiums for which the middle-class working people dejectedly foot the bill. In the Genome Revolution, insurance rates will not only go up because of scientific advances, but will also increase because the knowledge of genome profiles will be available and insurance agencies will inevitably choose to increase payments for policy-holders who are at high-risk or are even likely to develop diseases and conditions that require expensive medical attention that is covered by the agencies. Specifically, many Valley Hispanics will be charged more for insurance because their genome profiles will indicate that they are likely to develop diabetes. In a place that is one of the poorest parts of the nation, the extent of insurance costs may tear families apart from the medical care that they need.

While Proposition 12 has made headlines for only the past few months, planned doctors’ walk-outs began over a year ago in the Rio Grande Valley. Risking the chance to win at what is close to a death-lottery, many hospital patients undergo risky surgeries and later sue the doctors for not experiencing the intended outcome. The Genome Revolution will result in an increase of lawsuits due to “malpractice” but also to privacy and federal healthcare issues. In 30 years, a man might sue his parents for sequencing a physical genome of his when he was an infant, and claim it as a violation of the right of privacy or even maintain that immense damage from emotional pain and suffering was incurred. The courts will also be filled with Medicaid cases that rule on whether individual situations require sequencing or not. Who then will judge what is or is not moral? The Supreme Court as well as local judges will have much to consider in forming laws as to the government’s support or resistance of the Genome Revolution.

The unique heritage of the Rio Grande Valley is disappearing because of cultural infusion. During the Genome Revolution, people will not only continue to lose what they have culturally inherited through folkways and mores, but will also lose what they have physically inherited. In essence, they will lose part of their sense of self by creating a “flawless” and homogenized appearance. Perhaps the emotional and cultural effects of the revolution are more devastating than any others because people lose sight of where they came from, and are thus placed into a cookie-cutter world of bland perfection.

In his book, Rules for Radicals, Saul D. Alinsky argued that, “…man’s hopes lie in the acceptance of the great law of change.” Society must accept the changes that will result from the Genome Revolution whether they are beneficial or detrimental. Through this change, I envision a healthier future that will free society from the tragedies that genetic disorders bring to people’s lives, but I also see drastic conflict from the immense ethical questions posed.

Rows upon rows of “perfect” people walk in straight lines. All have the same hair, eye, and skin color. They all resemble each other. The environment around them is lifeless; the lack of trees and living animals is awkwardly noticeable. Overhead a flying automobile soars past and swerves around enormous skyscrapers. All this was accomplished through both science and technology. Is this a farfetched notion of the future? Can science and technology really create a society like this? How will it affect our lives here in the Valley and in the world around us? Science has always been with us. Science is the observation of the problems of the world around us, and the experimentation to find solutions to these problems. It was science that allowed primitive man to wonder about his origins, his creator and the world around him. If we look at the role of science in the human race we see that it has allowed for the unified progression of all. In the beginning primitive man relied heavily on personal beliefs of both good and bad spirits and that of a Supreme Being. Later beliefs became more complex and religion was a vital part of everyone’s life. The ability to think differently grew due to increase advancement in science and technology during the Renaissance period. The freedom of thought and proposal of ideas by philosophers provided for exchanging and creation of diverse ideas. It was in that type of environment that ideas such as that of Darwin’s Origins of Species were proposed. In modern times when people hear of genetics images of cars overturned by dinosaurs gone mad, from the famous motion picture Jurassic Park, and of the cloned sheep Dolly prancing around in the prairie come to mind. The genetic revolution in particular gives us all an optimistic future to the world in which we are living in today. The genetic revolution will give a different facet to medicine, agriculture, and society as a whole.

The genetic revolution will help health professionals provide a different type of care for their patients. The genetic revolution offers enormous promises for those sufferings chronic diseases. Research laboratories around the world are busily sequencing, identifying, and switching genes among different species. Genetic engineering techniques promise cures for various diseases such as cystic fibrosis and kidney disease. The gene revolution could put an end to much human suffering and could make the twenty first century better for everyone. Genetics will allow people to know about deadly diseases beforehand and they will be able to use preventive measures. Conditions such as heart disease and cancer, even if they are not strictly genetic conditions, may have genetic components, such as a faulty gene that may predispose a person toward these diseases. By understanding more about diseases and the genes that cause them, health researchers will be able to produce better ways to control and prevent such diseases. The recent finalization of the Human Genome Project has already helped link specific DNA variations with increased links of a number of diseases and conditions such including Huntington’s disease, some forms of caner, asthma, diabetes, hypertension and Alzheimer’s disease. The most highly occurring disease here in the Valley is diabetes. Hopefully the gene revolution will help find a cure to this chronic disease. Of course, finding the gene that causes a certain disease is only half of the problem for then we will have to search for a way to cure that disease. As our knowledge of human genetics increases, we will come closer to a day when will be able to treat genetic illness through advanced techniques and be able to replace faulty genes with a gene that works properly. The future of the human race will be changed as we learn more about our genes and the way that they affect us. Genetics will be able to cure diseases but it is necessary to approach such advances cautiously but with optimism, and with our eyes open to endless possibilities and to the perils it might carry.

The last thing many people think that the genetic revolution will affect is that of agriculture. If we go back to the origins of genetics and the way that they were first studied we realize that genes were first applied to plants, pea plants to be exact. The use of crops such as virus-resistant squash, soybeans tolerant to herbicides, and other types of crops that are not affected by the environment around them, would definitely benefit farmers here in the Valley. Not only would their crop yield increase but also they would be able to contribute to the problem of world hunger. Crops that produce their own insecticides will mean that their will be less use of dangerous pesticides used on crops and the foods will become safer for us to consume. The engineering of crops to be resistant to chemical herbicides will contribute to the reducing of global warming and soil erosion because farmers won’t have to plow the land to control weeds. Other types of plants that require less water can also be created and used in areas where droughts occur frequently this will not only benefit the Valley but other parts of the world such as Africa. The great benefit to the consumers is that they will not have to pay more for food that has not produced harm to the land, animals, or environment. In a international level genetically altered plants will help protect the environment, help alleviate problems such as hunger, poverty, and malnutrition and help play a role in the conservation and protection of wildlife.

Genetics is a rapidly evolving branch of science, and will more than likely have effects upon the world that we cannot yet imagine. In the future technology promises to play a major role in our lives. As our knowledge increases so does the need for a better understanding of what is necessary in order for us become satisfied. In order for us to fully implement any improvements that may be found through the gene revolution we must be cautious and understand what their full effect it will have upon us. For it is through the understanding of ourselves that we can truly make this world a better place to live.

What The Human Genome Revolution Could Mean For Me And The Rio Grande Valley

The human genome revolution will have as big an impact on the average person as it does on the scientist researching it. Millions of people throughout the world will benefit from this experimentation. Understanding genetic material and the ability to pinpoint errors in genes, may lead to the prevention of many genetic diseases. The ultimate goal is to use research to develop new ways to treat, care, or even prevent the thousands of diseases that afflict humankind. Although the scientific community delivers many contributions to this scientific accomplishment, the road to a new age of disease free human life is long and rocky with struggles and disbelief. Whether inherited or resulting from the body’s response to environmental stresses, all diseases have a genetic component. The advances in this field hold an excellent future for treating and curing genetic diseases. Scientists can do this by using normal genes to supplement defective genes and to bolster immunity to disease.

In the Rio Grande Valley, an area dominated by Hispanic ancestry, many genetic diseases, such as diabetes, are common illnesses suffered by many people. According to the Mendelian Laws of Heredity, diabetes is an inherited disease, resulting from a recessive trait and affecting millions of people throughout the United States, especially people of Hispanic origins. When the body cannot make full use of some foods we eat, mainly carbohydrates of sugars and starches, a large gland under the stomach called the pancreas does not make available enough insulin to burn these foods as energy or store them for future use. Sugar and starches increase the blood sugar content until it passes the kidneys. The loss of carbohydrate energy causes the symptoms of diabetes and can lead to an illness, which can be fatal if not properly controlled. With the success of the human genome project, researchers may soon be able to find the genes that cause or contribute to the disease. Although the lack of insulin production in the pancreas as a result of inflammatory or other changes in that organ may contribute to the disease, the human genome project will help decrease the number of diabetic cases in the Rio Grande Valley.

The obstetrician-gynecologist physicians have initiated one of the first clinical changes in the United States arising from discoveries of the human genome revolution. Ob-gyns began to expand the number of couples offered genetic screening for cystic fibrosis during prenatal care. “The genetic revolution has begun,” announced Michael T. Mennuti, MD, of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, “The advances of the human genome project have moved from the laboratory to the obstetrician’s office. With these changes come new options and new decisions for expectant couples.” The DNA screening for cystic fibrosis is now recommended to all couples. Physicians’ and patients’ educational material was distributed to 40,000 members, to help this screening change. These screenings are a necessity in the Rio Grande Valley. This genetic disease that develops mostly at birth, can bring pulmonary and gastrointestinal symptoms, but in most cases, a shortened lifespan is expected and life long medical care is required. Couples who learn they both carry the cystic fibrosis gene will have a 1 in 4 chance of delivering a child with this disease. With the human genome revolution, preventing cystic fibrosis will eventually eliminate the disease altogether and because patients will no longer need lifelong support, money will be saved.

Each person in the Rio Grande Valley should be aware that they can get the help they need and research is continuing to be made on the human genome project everyday. Education is the focal priority in the Rio Grande Valley and is helping the human genome project to expand. If residents of the Rio Grande Valley fully understand the benefits of the human genome revolution, more people will be aware of its amazing opportunities and will help to provide a disease free future for their children and grandchildren. With the increasing number of people knowledgeable about the advantages of the human genome revolution, more will contribute to research and, eventually, the high price of genetic screening will be affordable to all that are in need.

Upon the completion of the mapping of the human genome on August 26, 2000, former President Bill Clinton declared, “Today we are learning the language in which God created life… humankind is on the verge of gaining immense new power to heal. Genome science will have a real impact on all our lives, and even more on the lives of our children. It will revolutionize the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of most, if not all, human diseases.” The human genome revolution affects the Rio Grande Valley and myself because it will help to treat and prevent genetic diseases that others and I may be afflicted by. This research is important, especially to couples, because every baby born deserves a chance in life in a disease free world. The research is also significant to those who suffer from diabetes; they too deserve a life free of physical illnesses and constant medical care. In my life, I personally know and love many people that have been affected by these genetic diseases and helping them receive treatment will be the greatest gift of love I could ever offer. I know there are also many people that feel the same, because everyone has a special person in their life, a family member, friend, peer or acquaintance that will benefit from this remarkable research.

With technology advancing more quickly than even our own minds can comprehend, the effects of these advancements cannot be measured in our time, as they are just beginning to reveal themselves. Nowhere is this more evident than in the world of biotechnology, where researchers are changing the way people look at themselves as individuals with imperfections. The newly mapped human gene sequence provides scientists with the tools needed to manipulate, “fix”, or alter the human genetic code to create a person with any specifications desired in a human. Just the idea of a person engineered to specific criteria boggles the mind with questions about the implications on society, not to mention the unforeseen consequences that could lurk in the nearby future. In a world as populous as today’s, the sense of self, rooted within each person, becomes more important than ever. As time passes with more hi-tech advancements, people will have to deal with the outcomes of the human genome project, some of which can be investigated before work begins on implementing research into everyday healthcare and others that still wait to be stumbled upon.

The first problem includes the laws of all types, including those that have yet to be passed concerning the use of DNA in altering negative characteristics and adding favorable ones. First, developers must explore the ethical law that asks whether it is morally correct to change what it is that makes us people: the fact that we are all different and have flaws, and maybe these should be cherished rather than changed. If everyone was the same, we would become like ants, just one of a million, and lose the meaning of us being here: sharing different ideas and personas that enrich our lives and give us fulfilling relationships. Does making similar people interfere with the law of nature, which before now was the only factor in determining who we are? Then comes the legal matters that appear with the application of this knowledge. When people alter the natural cycle of life that has been in place for millions of years, there are going to have to be rules in place so that this sensitive data does not fall into the wrong hands, become misused, or have the huge negative impact on society that it has the possibility of having. For example, if people such as the Raelians, who have said to have cloned the first human, are allowed to change the human genetic code as they wish, they might not take into account the effect they are having on the mentality of their subjects as well as the public in general. If people know that one person has been changed to be better than themselves, there are going to be conflicts. This goes for the tested as well, who might be scarred knowing that they are not as they were originally meant to be. They could feel isolated, confused, hurt, or different from everyone else.

Controversially, the positive impact this might have will change the life expectancy of the human race. By omitting negative characteristics such as tendencies for cancer, obesity, or disabilities, people may well live longer, fuller lives. With longer lives and less likelihood for them being cut short, health insurance would most definitely be lessened over time. But lengthened life-spans also increases the worlds rate of population growth, as less people will be dying and the same number will be born. This could pose an even greater problem than the one of correcting genetic imperfections. In essence, these alterations could cause more suffering rather than less, as an uncontrollable population growth causes starvation, homelessness, as well as negative environmental impacts from increasing human pressure for more land and resources. The world is not a supplier of infinite resources for human exploitation, and absolutely cannot hold as many people as would live in a world of 110 plus years being the norm in life expectancy.

If this new way of “producing” new humans becomes the norm, normal reproduction would cease to exist as we know it, which undoubtedly is a part of what makes us humans. Taking part of human nature out of us changes who we are as a species, something in which the value is immeasurable. The natural flow of the life cycle would be interrupted every time someone decides to intercede in order to “fix” a characteristic they do not wish to see in their offspring. What they are missing is that maybe people are meant to be just how they are without others deciding what they should or should not be. Picturing a fallible human changing the code of life for his own kind is a scary thought, as this is all that humans have which they can say is theirs and theirs alone, untouched by any mortal hands.

The final question to consider is that of the field of medicine. Medicine as we now know it can only fix problems that occur in animals. This new concept would correct the problem before it happens, giving a lessened need to traditional medical practice. Right now in the U.S., cancer is the leading cause of death for people over 65. If we revise the genes in order to try to prevent cancer before it starts, much of the elderly patients would not need the advanced treatments required to fight this disease. Also, when tampering with human chromosomes, the natural function and life span becomes skewed because of discrepancies in the natural sequence unique to each person.

Life as we know it owes its existence to the genetics that make organisms what they are. We as humans have evolved successfully so far. When we act as creators and step in where nature has done a good job up to this point, we take a huge risk because when it comes down to it, we truly do not know the nature of our biological code, and what we do not know can definitely hurt us as well as the entire world.

As one of our most precious national heroes, Neil Armstrong, set foot upon the moon he said the following, “this is one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” Throughout the years, deep investigations in the scientific area and modern technological advances have lead us to create the building blocks necessary for us to take yet another “giant leap for mankind.” The genome revolution has come along way, with many discoveries leading it to the road it’s on today. This development will affect us in many different aspects creating many opportunities and risks as well. It will not only concern us here in our safe little haven we call the Rio Grande Valley, but will affect us on a whole larger scale, by changing everyone who is a citizen of this earth.

One of the most recent accomplishments of the Genome Revolution includes the collaborative research of scientists worldwide known as the Human Genome Project. This investigation began in order to better understand the composition of all the genes in the human body. This goal was completed this year, two years ahead of schedule and at a much cheaper cost that expected. The project involved understanding the genomes of various organisms like mice in order to understand our genetic makeup. It also includes a backbone for the improvement of human healthcare. Now that we have a blueprint for the genomes, we can learn how they play a role in creating gene products such as proteins.

The world of medicine contains many mysteries, with doctors constantly working as detectives trying to decipher the secrets of deadly genetic disorders. Human genetic research discovered by the Human Genome Project provides the research to help enhance human health. As a matter of fact, about 30% of pediatric patients and 12% of adult admissions into hospitals are due to genetic problems. Gene therapy can correct genetic disorders and contribute to the fight against incurable diseases. An example of a genetic disorder that can be corrected by using genetic engineering is the blood cell disease that can be treated by cultivating the patient’s cells, correcting the abnormal gene, and transferring it back into the patient’s bone marrow. This process will be a lifesaver to those patients who are drowning in the waters of despair and misery, due to genetic disorders. Another common way to prevent the spread of deadly diseases is by the use of vaccines. Vaccines are created with the use of gene manipulation. So how could we be able to stop the epidemic of deadly diseases without genetic manipulation? It would be practically impossible. The Genome Revolution will not only affect the way medicine works here in the Rio Grande Valley, but will change the way it functions throughout the world.

From the hospitals to the farm fields, the waves of the effects created by the Genome Revolution can be washed upon the shores of our lives profoundly. A large percentage of the job occupations held here in the Rio Grande Valley are farm related fields. Genetic engineering can improve new farming techniques and methods that are crucial for an expanding community like ours. It has the possibility to increase the amount of crops produced per year. If used, genetic manipulation can change certain components of crops such as its size, color, taste, and nutritional value. Organisms that often destroy plants, like weeds, insects and diseases, can be prevented from harming crops by using genetic engineering. In fact less herbicides and pesticides would be used; therefore the reduction of these products would occur. Scientists are currently trying to develop a way to kill a bird with two stones by creating a crop that can serve as a food and a vaccine that treats diseases. It is very difficult to be a farmer in this day and age. There is only so much you can do since you can not command the land or the weather. But with the use of genetic manipulation, the high demands for crops would be met with low production costs, leaving farmers with a bit more spare change in their pockets. The genome revolution will help our local farmers gain green hands instead of green thumbs.

Everything that is new and exciting here in the Rio Grande Valley creates some sort of commotion. The introduction of more genetic engineering would be no exception. Ever since first talk of the Genome Revolution, our society has been reluctant about this type of change. Many believe that it will create some sort of instability in humans creating divisions between those who are made inside a laboratory and those with actual human genes. The Rio Grande Valley is full of citizens that hold a strong faith in their religion. It could create a couple of problems since many religions are opposed to the killing of embryos for research and development. They also protest the use of genetic manipulation because they fear that children will no longer be a creation of God, but another man made product. Fear is always present when the unknown is present.

The Genome Revolution is the key to the future opening up many different doors for us. Unfortunately, some of these doors contain danger lurking on the other side. Whether we learn to accept these threats or not, one should keep in mind hat nothing in life has ever been gained or accomplished without overcoming several obstacles or risks.

What the Human Genome Revolution Could Mean For Me and the Rio Grande Valley

Thanks to today’s technology, we can talk to people thousands of miles distant, view stars that are worlds away, and delve into our body on an unimaginable scale. This revolution has been peaceful for the most part, but the human genome threatens to be the smallest item to spark controversy in history. Both sides hold powerful cards, and, when the smoke clears, the decisions made in this country and around the world will alter the future for our descendants. On a more regional scale, no matter what happens, the genomes that reside in all of us will be scrutinized as never before, and they will finally be understood.

The Rio Grande Valley is considered a rural area, an area where people do not seek treatment for their ailments as they should. Diabetes, obesity, heart problems, etc., run rampant throughout our community and the poverty of the area has only hampered efforts to turn back the tide on the war on such maladies. Personally, I am at risk for leukemia, gallstones, knee problems, and heart defects on both sides of my family. Any advancement in the field of medicine would certainly put a dent in anything that these historically difficult illnesses can throw at us. The Human Genome Project, run by the government of the United States of America, has begun to crack the shells of these human inefficiencies and failures. The DNA of every person has differences that make he or she unique from every other creature on earth. The Human Genome Project aims to take apart the human genome and look at the workings of what makes us tick. Gene by gene they have made progress and, in addition, have created quite a stir within the international community.

Recombinant DNA, “combining genes from different organisms,” has given people nightmares of Frankenstein’s monster jumping off the pages of Shelley’s novel. (Genetically Modified Foods and Organisms, Human Genome Project Information) Today, insect resistant foods protect corn, soybeans, and other staple foods from the pests that would destroy them. The Valley’s high agricultural dependence, and its infamous number of pests of all sorts, could be forever altered by the introduction of such foods. The Valley could sell its citrus to the rest of the world without fear of the fruit fly or the odd worm. On top of this, foods could be altered to prevent allergic reactions, also a normal Valley occurrence, in those people that are susceptible. This recombinant DNA also has its drawbacks. Nobel never intended dynamite to be used as a weapon, and while the flu vaccine was intended to save people, it has, in all actuality, killed a number of people. However, the risks are well worth the rewards. Whatever mistakes are created by recombinant DNA can just as easily be altered to their original forms before the second generation appears.

Cloning of humans is often cited as the best reason not to tamper with nature. I must agree that cloning of humans, or any creature found to be sentient or with the natural rights that existence entails, is a disturbing thought. The abuses of such practices are much too great not to be banned before they come into existence. No one wants to see a fellow human being treated inhumanely because someone else wanted to play God. The Jews were subject to Hitler’s sick experiments. And the world has never dispelled rumors that Hitler, evil in human form, was cloned. The “Boys of Brazil” have no place in the contemporary world. We have the ability to use cloning ethically and safely, but restrictions would not only have to be placed on every facility capable, but enforcement would have to be swift and crushing to any violation of the human soul. The soul would be the greatest loser in this war. There is no crystal ball to tell us what a cloned human would be like. Would the soul have survived the transition? Is the human soul printed onto our genes, or is it something that man can never understand and should not tamper with? The vast number of devout Christians in the Valley would never accept the possibility of some soulless creature created by a man and not God to walk this earth. As a Catholic, I believe that God has created all things, and anything that lives is His work. He has given us the power to change the world, but we must strike the balance between advancement and absurdity so that He would know His own work when He saw it.

This topic will not just be decided in the Valley or in Washington or The Hague. Instead, the fruition of work on the human genome will help decide the hearts and minds of the people across the globe, and that will determine the future of the human genome revolution. In these next few years, the human genome revolution will be pushed to its limits and the revolution will be tested on a pass/fail basis. Those that go against the decision of the majority will be looked down upon as either superstitious oafs or mad criminals. In the meantime, every voice lifted, regardless of opinion, will let our leaders know our wishes.

Most, if not all, of the technological and scientific advances throughout history, were influenced by the burning desire to discover, to know, and to be in control. The ambition to acquire knowledge has led mankind to embark on controversial and risk full, yet promising and intriguing fields, such as genetic research and study. In our modern day world, genetic research, or what we know as the genome revolution, has caused unceasing turmoil and controversy; however, behind all the ethical and religious opinions lies the hope for a brighter future for humanity. Whether we realize it or not, genome research brings with it many benefits, as well as new subjects of debate closer to us, in our community- the Rio Grande Valley.

The Rio Grande Valley is populated with a vast majority of Hispanic people. A Hispanic myself, I know that our people are passionate lovers of our culture and faithful followers of our faith. Many Hispanics do not favor genome research, (human cloning in specific), because it is an insult to the Christian faith, which holds God as the one and only creator of life. The knowledge of the human genome structure, equips man to become "architects" of life. Beyond the concern of man creating man, lays the uncertainty of the spiritual being and integrity of the newly created human clones. In an area where Hispanics are the dominating ethnic group, conflicts are definitely sure to arise between those who oppose and support cloning.

The Rio Grande Valley is also an agricultural area, and genome research provides new and more perfected techniques for farming and cultivating. These modern processes, are far more perfected than latter day techniques, and result in higher quality products, in much larger quantities. Greater and faultless productivity will promote and generate better business opportunities for agricultural companies in the valley. In return, employees of these companies will receive better salaries. It is important to keep in mind that many Hispanics do not only support their immediate family but also those that are away from them, like elderly parents. In this way, the Rio Grande Valley's inhabitants will be greatly benefited.

Hispanics are prone to many diseases already inscribed in our DNA, like diabetes, high blood pressure, heart failure, as well as many others. Gene manipulation and therapy brings about the hope of more successful treatment for these disorders, and in some cases, total prevention. The hope for better health situations arises between the Hispanic people because of these promising acts. In aspects like such, genome research is sure to gain the support of many.

All in all, it is important that as inhabitants of the Rio Grande Valley, we realize the impact that the genome revolution can have on our community and our lives themselves. When considering controversial issues, we should be informed thoroughly of the pros and cons of the subject, and there of, emit judgement. The same applies to the genome revolution. Aside from the cultural opposition that exists towards genome projects, we should consider the many beneficial doors that they could open for our community. After all, like John F. Kennedy once said, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country."; if accepting genome research and all it embraces is the well being of the Valley- so be it.

When you get right down to it, the Rio Grande Valley is a lot like a cell. Everyone in the valley contributes to its existence, working day and night, keeping everything working. Our unique cultural blending serves as the DNA, and tacos seem to serve as our primary food source. Oh, and not to mention that the vast openness of the King Ranch serves as our cell membrane. The Valley, even though our quiet and simple life may not speak it, is well aware of the science taking place in the world around us, as well as in our own backyard.

Lately, major scientific advances have been made in the area of biotechnology and medicine. People don’t always recognize it, but they are definitely feeling the ramifications of such major advancements.

I like to sit down to a healthy breakfast of pan dulce (doughnuts that is). Oh, and not just any doughnuts, the ones drowned in glaze, and don’t forget about the ones dipped in pink sugar stuff that I don’t even know the name of. Yes, I might as well eat cyanide, but it makes me think. People all over the valley can’t do that. They suffer from a disease called diabetes. Oh yes, I know this disease well… my grandmother lost her big toe due to that tyrant of a problem. Even my fellow youth in my Biology class suffer from it. The battle for health is not a one sided one however. Scientists have just recently mapped the human genome, and are now working on finding the “flaws” of our bodies. Once we can pinpoint the problems, or the places in our bodies, which have a hard time dealing with diseases and viruses, we can work on solutions, or cures.

Just recently, I have discovered the horrors of old age. My grandfather of 81 years has a major case of Alzheimer’s. I mean, I sit on the couch and watch as the poor man tries to remember how to put a sandwich together. What once was the most simple of tasks now poses a half hour problem. It’s times like those when you realize that we all take youth for granted. But doesn’t this pose a question in our minds? Why do we get Alzheimer’s? What can be done to stop it?

The scientific community is answering questions such as this every year, scientists with big white suits, who work with gigantic microscopes whose names I can’t even pronounce.

Biotechnology helps us to better understand the basics of our bodies. It takes the basic building blocks of which we are, and studies how they affect us, and how they can be affected. This is why the field of biotechnology produces so many medical advancements.

The new trend in biotechnology is genetic engineering. Man now has the capability to many great things with the human body. We’ve engineered artificial hearts, and now, scientists are talking about artificial white blood cells to help fight off viruses. That sounds great, but we can do better. Imagine not having fake white blood cells, but real ones, real ones, which have been genetically engineered to counter any disease. In times like ours, where the scare of biological warfare looms over our country, imagine having white blood cells that could kill smallpox viruses.

The mapping of the human genome provides for us a window into our genetic makeup. In it, we can see all of our faults and our superiorities. With genetic engineering, we can fix what’s wrong with humans. Going back to my grandfather with Alzheimer’s, what about diseases like this? Scientists could basically isolate the cell that is affected by Alzheimer’s and engineer and enhance the cell, making it less prone, or maybe even immune, from contracting this disease.

Diabetes claims the lives, and limbs, of many people around the world each year. I don’t have to live with it, as of yet, but I do see people always watching what they eat, always on the glucose monitor. Imagine the stress of such a lifestyle. Imagine the stress of knowing that forgetting to take the insulin injection, or not watching what you eat could kill you. It’s even worse here in the valley. Many scientific researches have shown that Hispanics (who make up the majority of the population here in the Valley) are genetically more prone to developing it. Thanks to the biotechnological advancements, improved medicine is always being offered to residents of the valley to help treat them in their fight against diabetes.

This leads to another point. According to reports published in the last decade, the Hispanic population in the valley is growing drastically obese. This doesn’t mean that the trend is continuing, because many people are now eating healthy in attempts to lose weight. And going to the store, people can now buy genetically engineered food as alternatives to the “cavity causers” and “fat stacker” foods.

One thing that the valley is known for is our great agricultural resource. Mmmm boy... can’t you just taste those sour valley lemons, or our ever sweet Ruby Red Grapefruits! Not only that, but the Rio Grande Valley is home to the growing of many other useful plants. Just down the street from Weslaco East, you can see the Texas A&M/U.S.D.A. compound where they are constantly working on improving our plant life; making crops more efficient by altering them. Maybe one day, through genetic engineering, there will be perennial crops, which could give a big jump-start to our Valley economy.

In short, biotechnology has helped, and will help the people of the Rio Grande Valley. It will help build a better tomorrow by bringing business to the agricultural and medical fields, which are now just beginning to thrive in the valley.

“What the Genome Revolution Could Mean for Me and the Rio Grande Valley”

For numerous years, the world’s most prestigious geneticists have been trying to crack the human genetic code, the intricate puzzle that defines each and every one of us as individuals. With the monumental success of the Human Genome Project, a new and exciting biological frontier is ready for exploration. The ramifications of the knowledge derived from this endeavor will no doubt be staggering for residents of the Rio Grande Valley and the world at large.

The use of genetic sequencing in the medical field has innumerable possibilities; genomic medicine, as this new field is now called, will enable the human race to make immense advances in understanding how our genetic heredity makes us susceptible to some illnesses and immune to others. The detection of diseases with a high rate of heredity is just one facet of the gem that is genomics; once researchers are able to map out all of the vital components and rare alleles that sometimes play a large factor in disease, it will be possible to target these specific gene combinations, functional elements, and alleles. Because of the fact that protein, produced by our cells’ ribosomes, has an effect on the pathways that help express our inherited traits, it is important that we understand the relationship between DNA and protein, and how this affects the phenotype of an individual’s genetic attributes. For example, sickle-cell anemia is caused by a flaw in one nitrogenous base sequence in DNA. This flaw then translates into RNA, then into amino acids that determine the phenotype that the subject will have. The discrepancy in something as minute as a nitrogenous base and one amino acid makes the difference between a healthy, normal life and a life filled with constant pain and difficulty. Once we are able to master the information provided by the Human Genome Project, we will be able to determine how the irregularity of this particular protein sequence occurs. The gene therapy and medication that will be developed as a result of this achievement in genetics will indeed help those who are held back by this debilitating disease.

The Rio Grande Valley, one of the most poverty-stricken areas in the United States, has had a problem with diabetes; the number of people diagnosed has reached epic proportions in recent years. In a study reported by the Valley Baptist Health System, diabetes deaths in Cameron and Hidalgo counties rank numbers two and three for the highest death rates in Texas. It is estimated that one in four Valley residents are affected by diabetes. With such frightening statistics, it is important that something be done about this increasingly bad situation. It should be noted that although diabetes is believed to be caused mainly by one’s diet and exercise habit, there are genetic factors that play into every disease. According to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science, “All diseases have a genetic component, whether inherited or resulting from the body’s response to environmental stresses like viruses or toxins.” This statement may also be applied to diabetes. A cure has eluded the medical community for decades, but the Human Genome Project opens up a new possibility; if a combination of genes were found to be responsible for the malfunction of the pancreas and insulin secretion, researchers could immediately begin exploring possibilities for the treatment and ideally, the prevention of this debilitating disease. Once we, as a society, understand how this disease is caused, we may then take measures to tackle it. The affected people who thought that they had done everything to prevent diabetes, via exercise and diet, will have a new option; they can have a genetic sequence done to determine whether something other than an environmental factor is to blame. With research and development will come breakthrough medications and therapies that will contribute to a healthier and happier Rio Grande Valley.

Although there are numerous beneficial possibilities associated with the Human Genome Project, there are some setbacks and issues of ethics that must also be explored. If the human genetic map is completely known, weaknesses, susceptibilities, and basically one’s collective fate would be an open book for all health professionals, insurance companies, and employers to read. Every attribute of your genetic profile that may point to some condition, disorder, or disease would be ammunition for healthcare providers to deny coverage; virtually everything from acne to obesity to schizophrenia would be labeled a “pre-existing condition.” Employers would not retain those who have a 75% risk for cancer, or an 80% chance for some sort of psychosis. The world would become highly selective, and a new type of discrimination would emerge; the color of one’s skin or one’s last name would no longer matter. Everything necessary to judge would be accessible by looking at a genetic profile. Residents of the Rio Grande Valley, characteristically obese and susceptible to diseases like diabetes and hepatitis would not fare well within this new set of societal parameters. The 33% of the uninsured Valley residents who thought insurance was impossible in this modern day would be even farther away from the protection and security of being insured. People who did have insurance would be dropped if there was a serious risk of a heritable and potentially fatal condition or disease. In cases like this, employment rates would drop as the number of uninsured would increase, bringing the percent of impecunious families in the Rio Grande Valley to a rate higher than the present 40%. This dilemma poses a burning question; should one’s genetic profile be completely divulged to employers, insurance agents, and the like? In the case of the Rio Grande Valley, the answer of this Valleyite would have to be a vehement NO. There is too great a risk associated with our already impoverished area; any more of a license given to healthcare providers and employers to rid themselves of those who may potentially get sick would be morally and ethically reprehensible.

Assessing the consequences of the information that the Human Genome Project may yield must be taken into consideration; the medical benefits must be weighed on a balanced scale with the ethical and moral ramifications to properly size up what we will do in the future. Residents of the Rio Grande Valley must be prepared to deal with the positive and negative aspects of this modern revolution that we call genetics.

Ever since the rediscovery of Gregor Mendal’s pea plant experiments through which he determined the laws of hereditary, new interests in the Genome Revolution ignited. Opinions were across the charts from being drastically pessimistic to the contrasting optimistic. Through the years up to recent day, issues concerning the impact of the fields of medicine, reproduction, insurance, law and even our sense of self have completely filled the minds of those who are in touch with the happenings of the Genome Revolution, whether they are against or for it. The affects of the Genome Revolution will be felt both individually and also as a society. In the Rio Grande Valley, the mentality of the people is for the most part that of indifference, because they feel they are not affected by most occurrences through out the world. For instance, when the horrible catastrophe of 9-11 occurred, the rest of the country was frightened of another attack, but my peers and myself disregarded the possibility of the attack being in our particular part of Texas. With the Genome Revolution moving along at full throttle, the Rio Grande Valley will receive a shocking revelation: that people in the Valley will be affected by the changes and discoveries in this particular field of science, and that they may be able to afford to sequence their own genome. With the advancement of the Genome Revolution, the consequences will start being felt in the near future.

The field of Medicine will greatly be furthered with the help of genome sequencing. By making it possible to make plants with drugs in their DNA structure, people will be able to take the drug in a purer, safer form because the plant is not susceptible to human or animal diseases such as potatoes that contain a drug for liver cirrhosis. With the Rio Grande Valley being so close to the border of Mexico, many diseases tend to get passed over to the United States causing the people in the Valley to take precaution of these dangers by using injected vaccinations. I know that I would rather eat a fruit that contained the vaccine for influenza than get a shot every year. On the other hand, the seeds of a plant such as this could somehow get released uncontrollably into the environment and effect it in an unpredictable way. Animals can also be possibly enhanced. For instance, humans might be able to use a pig’s organs in replacement of a human donor, but the in order for the pig donor organs to be accepted, the organ’s DNA will have to be modified. With these new methods the prices of these genetically altered plants and animals are assumed to go down, but there is the possibility that the price will be outrageous because of the research and it will not benefit the poor who really need the cheaper way out.

How will reproduction be impacted? In the near future, doctors will be able to screen a child or an embryo and determine whether the baby will be healthy or not. A parent can choose physical as well as mental capabilities. The drawback is that with the choosing of certain characteristics a certain ethnic group may lose their sense of self. The well-known characteristics of the Hispanic people might change drastically from being a dark-haired people to having cherry-blonde hair, all depending on the chosen characteristics.

As an individual, I know that I would not like to have people gallivanting around with my genome sequence without my permission. An individual’s genome sequence would provide information of "the past history and thus dictate the future of an individual's racial and genealogical makeup, and influence an individual's medical and psychological makeup." [1] This brings up the issue of privacy and how it will be enforced and a new form of prejudices. With Genome sequencing, certain insurance agencies may require that a person turn in a genome sequence of himself or herself in order to be considered for the insurance. If a certain person has the possibility of having a disease in the future the agency may deny him or her the chance to be accepted for life insurance. When applying for a job, or introducing an old friend to a new one, the genome sequencing of that person may be asked for. Whether or not you get the job, or whether or not you are accepted as a new friend might depend on whether you have mutations of some sort in your DNA. The world might divide into two classes of people: the flawless and the mutant or person with no genetic altering.

A person’s sense of self is usually determined by who he or she is, where he or she comes from, his or her family values and even his or her physical appearances. Changing oneself to feel better is one thing but to change oneself just to impress others would be the wrong choice for genetically changing oneself. The choice of taking action to fix one self’s DNA or choosing certain characteristics for their baby would be a decision that would need to be thought through carefully. I know that I would need to have all the dangers and risks laid out before me and all the outcomes and future possibilities be known to me as well.

Although, the Genome Revolution is quite controversial, how else will the field of science and medicine advance if these steps are not taken? Experiments and research is the only way that new medicines, cures and many other things will be founded. The cure to cancer is not going to be handed to us on a platter. We need to formulate new ideas and we need to be able to test them as well. The impact of these advancements, especially with the morality of some issues, will depend on the individual, which will in turn affect society as the whole.

^{1. E. Donald Shapiro and Michelle L. Weinberg,} DNA Data Banking: The Dangerous Erosion of Privacy^{,
38 Cleveland State Law Review 455 (1990) at 456.}