Daniel MacArthur, 31, is a genomics researcher in the U.K. who blogs about genetic research and the genetic testing industry at Wired Science's Genetic Future ( www.wired.com/wiredscience/geneticfuture ) and Genomes Unzipped ( unzipped.org ). Follow him on Twitter @dgmacarthur.
Q. Why should patients pay attention to what's happening in genomics?
Genetic information will become more useful in predicting which diseases you're most at risk of and what therapies will be most useful. We're only at the beginning of this process, so the useful information in your genome is pretty limited. That will change quickly, and there's a real opportunity for people to take greater responsibility for their own health care by building up their understanding of genetics now.
Q. How does the uncertainty in the interpretation of genetic testing color the discussion of patients' rights to their genetic information?
I believe everyone has a right to their own genome, and they shouldn't need a doctor's prescription to access it. Companies need to work to provide information that is as accurate as possible, but there will always be some uncertainty: That's the price early adopters pay. As long as companies make it clear the information they're providing isn't the final word, consumers who see the uncertainty for themselves are actually learning something useful about the complexity of modern genetics.
Q. What have you learned about the data packed away in your own cells?
From a medical perspective, I have a boring genome: no seriously increased risk for any major disease. Instead, the things I've found most valuable have primarily curiosity value. For instance, my genes suggest I have a segment of non-European ancestry, inherited way back on my father's side. Right now, people shouldn't take these tests expecting to learn something life-changing in a medical sense. However, if you approach them with a spirit of intellectual curiosity, you'll end up learning some truths about modern genetics, and you might just end up discovering a few surprising things about yourself.
