Take a Trip to the Biobank

Abstract

Understanding human genetics is an important part of the standards-based science curriculum. In our experience, however, the topic is a difficult one for many students. In this lesson, students examine issues, both pro and con, surrounding genetic databanks and population genetics studies. They then investigate methods of collecting human genome information and evaluate Web sites of various biobanks. Next, they work in groups to create a biobank of their own, which they write about and illustrate. We use this activity with high school general biology students. It would also be appropriate for AP biology and freshman college biology courses. The suggested time for this activity is three 50-minute laboratory periods. Alternatively, the Web searches may be assigned as homework. Creation and presentation of student biobanks can then be completed in two subsequent 50-minute periods. The purpose of the activity is to promote both content mastery and critical thinking through self-discovery. In the process, students will: * improve their reasoning and communication skills * learn about the history of biobank databases * examine issues raised by genetic databanks * draw conclusions and communicate their reasoning. We use this activity to promote three National Science Education Standards: Content Standard C (Molecular Basis of Heredity, Science and Technology), Content Standard E (Abilities of Technological Design and Science in Personal and Social Perspectives), and Content Standard F (Personal and Community Health). Biobanks & Biobanking A biobank is a collection of biological specimens along with the information used to identify and analyze them. Worldwide, the number of biobanks continues to grow rapidly. They vary widely in their size and focus. There are biobanks specializing in diverse plant, animal, and microbial species (http://www.biobankcentral.org/importance/what. php). Human biobanks may be organized as disease specific collections to investigate conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, colon cancer, diabetes or multiple sclerosis (http:// biobanktalk.ca). Others act as repositories targeting groups of people or entire populations. An excellent example is the Dor Yeshorim program. Founded by a rabbi who had four children die from Tay-Sachs disease, the program tests participants for a panel of genetic disorders known to be more common among Ashkenazi Jews. This information is a valuable guide for couples contemplating marriage. The data is collected and stored confidentially. If a dating couple finds both of them are carriers of the same recessive trait, they may choose not to have children or even marry. The program has been highly successful. Today, Tay-Sachs disease is nearly non-existent in this community (Lewis, 2007). Our activity focuses specifically on human population biobanks. The goal of population biobanking is to find new drugs or treatments by better understanding the complex relationship between genes, environment, and disease. The potential benefits from this research are considered so important that many countries have established national biobank programs. Iceland, Estonia, Sweden, Canada, and the UK have national biobanks that seek to collect samples and complete health records from large populations of people. The UK Biobank, for example, aims for 500,000 patient participants (http://www.ukbiobank.ac.uk/). Other biobanking initiatives are being conducted by non-profit or for-profit companies, such as pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Commercialization, along with privacy concerns over who has a right to access sensitive medical and lifestyle information, makes biobanking controversial (Lewis, 2007). Privacy advocates point to recent highly-publicized cases involving loss or theft of medical and credit card data as evidence that no database is completely secure. Maintaining confidentiality while providing researchers access to samples and data remains an important issue. …