Gene Patent Stirs Controversy

A genetic testing company fields concerns that their latest gene patent goes against their "core beliefs" regarding access to genetic information.

Written byBob Grant

| 3 min read

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WIKIMEDIA COMMONS, COURTESY: NATIONAL HUMAN GENOME RESEARCH INSTITUTE

Last week, consumer genomic testing company 23andMe received its first ever patent, which secured the intellectual property surrounding a variant of the human SGK1 gene that may prove to protect individuals carrying the LRRK2 G2019S mutation from developing Parkinson's disease. The move, announced on its blog, The Spittoon, last week (May 28), stirred up a storm of questions about the company's true intentions given the controversial nature of patenting genes.

23andMe cofounder Anne Wojcicki wrote in the post, "Our patent is an important step in ensuring that we’ve done all we can towards successful translation of this discovery." She explained that officials at the company feel that "patents should not be used to obstruct research or prevent individuals from knowing what’s in their genome." But ...

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Meet the Author

Bob Grant
From 2017 to 2022, Bob Grant was Editor in Chief of The Scientist, where he started in 2007 as a Staff Writer. Before joining the team, he worked as a reporter at Audubon and earned a master’s degree in science journalism from New York University. In his previous life, he pursued a career in science, getting a bachelor’s degree in wildlife biology from Montana State University and a master’s degree in marine biology from the College of Charleston in South Carolina. Bob edited Reading Frames and other sections of the magazine.
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