Half a Century ago, Soviet Sputnik scared the US public into a frenzy to re-vamp the entire R&D structure in the USA. A single Soviet H-bomb dropped on New York City from their satellite (later, from Cuba) could have killed a few millions.

Today, the menace is internal, within our own genome. Not a few, but hundreds of millions of people are dying of so-called "Junk DNA diseases" since 98.7% of human DNA was not only neglected but outright thrown out by two mistaken dogmas of Genomics for half a Century.

In the summer of 2007, a $100 M-range US Government (NIH) study produced ample evidence that both the "Junk DNA" and "Central Dogma" axioms are obsolete. The architect of ENCODE, Dr. Francis Collins, now decorated by "Presidential Medal of Freedom", issued the public mandate of the US government "the scientific community would have to re-think long-held beliefs" [of Genomics].

There are ominous signs that the US establishment might have a hard time "reforming itself" - leaving further millions dying of "Junk DNA diseases" ("Most if not all hereditary diseases are caused by the 'Junk' DNA" - Dr. Sharp, Nobel Laureate at MIT).

Dr. Lee Silver, Professor of Genomics at Princeton Advanced Studies (with Congressional testimonies and brilliant media-presentations from leading Journals and TV channels) wrote an absolutely outstanding article to Newsweek on the ongoing revolution in Post-ENCODE Genomics (that we call PostGenetics; Genomics beyond Genes).

Newsweek decided *not* to publish Dr. Lee's article in its USA Edition (though it made the cover issue in all the International Editions of Newsweek in Asia, Latin America and Europe).

Why?

One might surmise that the US is not ready (certainly wasn't, when the shell-shock of Sputnik hit the US) with any kind of "master plan" to properly respond to the menace threatening the life and well-being of perhaps hundreds of millions. It is a well known policy that the media will *not* alarm the US public if e.g. NASA detects a meteorite hitting the Earth in three days - in order to avoid a devastating chaos even prior to the ultimate disaster.

Of course, it is quite likely, that most US politicians have only the foggiest concepts of what "Junk DNA diseases" might be - though most of the mature Representatives are afflicted with conditions like Alzheimer's (remember Ronald Reagan?), Parkinson's, Cancers, Diabetes, Bipolar Syndrome, Alcoholism, High Blood Pressure, Heart and Circulatory Diseases, etc, etc).

The political problem is literally deadly serious.

Before release of the US Government Study (ENCODE) anybody could claim an "alibi" that the scientific establishment had not officially warned the public of the menace (though some scientists, including this one, have worked feverishly for 17 years in a clandestine manner knowing from facts that at least two of the "axioms" of pre-ENCODE Genomics were untrue. Substantial deployable arsenal is available).

After the public warning from US Government (ENCODE) those who continue ignoring "Junk DNA diseases" (for instance refusing to fund research, rejecting papers without review, failing to establish proper policies even at Presidential level) - might even be subjects to class action lawsuits launched by those who have to continue to suffer and perish for (even benign) neglect of "Junk DNA diseases".

"Politics" is all issues that concern citizens. The US responded in a spectacularly fast and efficient manner to the menace of Soviet Sputnik.

The new President of the US should, in this opinion, be elected based on the strongest likelihood of a comparably fast and effective re-vamping of R&D of Post-ENCODE Genomics (PostGenetics). Not only that of the Government, since it is known by now that in some notable cases the private enterprise can be more effective.

pellionisz_at_junkdna.com

P.S.

Public policy requires a written response within 30 days for US citizens who provide their name and postal address. Presidential Candidates and concerned responsible politicians, please send your reflections to this scientist with loved ones worldwide suffering from "Junk DNA diseases":

Dr. Andras J. Pellionisz
935 Rosette Court
Sunnyvale, California, 94086

(408) 732-9319