The Case Against Precipitous, Population-Wide, Whole-Genome Sequencing

Abstract

From the earliest days of the Human Genome Project, the holy grail of genomics was the ability to perform whole-genome sequencing quickly, accurately, and relatively inexpensively so that the benefits of genomics would be widely available in clinical settings. Although the mythical $1,000 genome sequence seemed elusive for many years, next-generation sequencing technologies and other recent advances clearly indicate that inexpensive whole-genome sequencing is at hand.

Keywords: genomics, whole genome sequencing, medical screening, genetics, health policy, health privacy, clinical genetics

JEL Classification: K31, K32