Human Bioengineering: Does the Risk Outweigh the Reward?

Jordan Kreager

Through the 20th Century, technology is evolving at an exponential rate, thus it is a distinct reflection of our progress as humans. With this technology, we can explain the world around us and interact with it accordingly. However, one mystery that science has yet to fully solve lies within the human genome. Through the Human Genome Project, an individual’s DNA acts as a building block for reconstructing our history as a species, and aides in our understanding of the biological differences between all people. The Human Genome Project is capable of influencing all fields of science relating to humans in some way or another. Many instances of genetic implementation in the field of biology and medicine are often met with moral opposition. Within the field of psychology specifically, the ethical boundaries are constantly being contested by genetic engineering. Despite leading to a number of medical contributions, human genome sequencing poses what many feel are immoral and sometimes dangerous risks to the overall well-being of society.

In regard to designer personalities, pharmaceutical companies have already created a number of genetically derived drugs which play a key role in the psychiatric industry in the US today. They have used many of these drugs for decades now, and they have had mixed results over the years. These drugs are designed to manipulate brain chemistry to affect the behavior or personality of the subjects in a number of ways. It is not uncommon in our society, for a person to seek out chemicals that may interfere with the way their neurotransmitters interact in order to ultimately feel better. It seems to only be a matter of time before fertility clinics offering services that will allow clients to choose what genes they want their child to express becomes the absolute norm. While this is clearly different than prescribing drugs in response to a predisposed condition or illness, if there is a way to prevent future suffering in individuals before it occurs, then it is worth exploring. If depression genes can be phased out of the gene pool, the moral compass of society should carefully reevaluate its stance on such issues. If this technology is only available to wealthy people who want to 'program' the ideal offspring rather than conceive it, then it could easily pose some significant threats to society as a whole. Yet we still see this with medicine as well, as some people cannot afford the drugs needed to alleviate their symptoms.

Overall, if negative personality traits such as violent behavior or depression can be rendered out of the gene pool, the Human Genome Project offers some key potential towards human evolution. Subsequently, drugs that alter our brain chemistry already have served in carrying out some of these functions, however the effectiveness of psychiatric drugs is not always correlated with success, and it seems apparent that other methods of dealing with these genetic deficiencies could yield better results. The nature in which these practices are used will inevitably determine the outcome, and socioeconomic factors would obviously lay at the forefront of this debate. Through the use of stem cells, tissue can regenerate in cancer patients, which can literally save the patient’s life. However, many religious groups view this as ‘playing God’ and many others view it as simply unethical because it relies on fetuses. It is essential that a balance is found within genetics and ethics because there is too much at risk on either side. Genetic personality engineering is a dangerous road which must be traveled cautiously. Humans have shown time after time that they are sometimes unable to handle technology responsibly, and acknowledging this remains completely necessary when approaching genetic modifications in human DNA.

While the Human Genome Project becomes more complete with each sample of DNA it receives, there will always be missing pieces. The history of our species stretches back thousands and thousands of years so a complete archive is not possible. The Human Genome Project is still in an early phase, but there are many pieces missing to the complete puzzle that will not ever be added. Consider that this technology has existed in only a very small fraction of the human species' existence. This will not stop researches from trying to piece together the most accurate sequence that is possible though. People paying for an analysis on their DNA to learn about their ancestry may want to consider the idea that they should be paid for their DNA, and given complimentary ancestry reports because once they own a copy of your DNA, it will be archived permanently as a marketing profile for pharmaceutical companies, and many other businesses involved in genetics in the future.