The University of California-Berkeley is taking an unusual approach to medical education, asking students to submit a cotton a swab of skin cells for genetic testing.
Say what?
It may sound like yet another frontier has been crossed in the continuing invasion of privacy we encounter every day, but Berkeley officials say it’s just a creative way of introducing the students to the emerging field of personalized medicine, reports USA Today.
“Science is moving so fast right now,” Alix Schwartz, director of academic planning for the college’s undergraduate division told USA Today. “If we assigned them a book, it would be out-of-date by the time they read it.”
So, instead of just assigning some summer reading, incoming freshman from the university’s College of Letters and Science — home to three quarters of Berkeley’s 25,000 undergraduates — will swab their inner cheeks and send the samples in for DNA testing by geneticists.
Each sample will be analyzed for three genes: metabolism of folate, tolerance of lactose and metabolism of alcohol. Students will be able to use the information gleaned from their genes to learn if they should eat more leafy green vegetables, steer clear of milk products or limit alcohol intake.
“For now, it’s mostly a research tool, but in the coming years it’s going to become part of everyday medical practice, based on your very personal genetics,” Mark Schlissel, the college’s dean of biological told USA Today, speaking to how the field of genetics is starting to alter the field of preventative medicine.
The idea is not to “mark” particular students or identify potentially dangerous genes, but rather to illustrate how certain genetic susceptibilities can be managed through behavior and diet modifications.
“We want to get people to appreciate that there are things you can do that enhance your health based on the genes you have,” Jasper Rine, a professor of genetics, genomics and development told USA Today. “There are concrete, actionable, specific steps that do enhance quality of life. This is the message of the post-genomic era.”
The university says all samples will be kept confidential, in accordance with the school’s policies in regard to the protection of “human subjects.” Students will be sent two barcode stickers: one to attach to the submitted sample and the other to use for reference when they check their DNA analysis on a website.
Schwartz says this assignment will probably be a one-time only kind of thing. What will they think of next?
Tonic readers: What do you think about Berkeley’s DNA initiative? Share your comments below!
Photo by Maria Keays via Flickr.