Whole Genome Sequencing: Innovation Dream or Privacy Nightmare?

Abstract: Over the past several years, DNA sequencing has emerged as one of the driving forces in life-sciences, paving the way for affordable and accurate whole genome sequencing. As genomes represent the entirety of an organism's hereditary information, the availability of complete human genomes prompts a wide range of revolutionary applications. The hope for improving modern healthcare and better understanding the human genome propels many interesting and challenging research frontiers. Unfortunately, however, the proliferation of human genomes amplifies worrisome privacy concerns, since a genome represents a treasure trove of highly personal and sensitive information. In this article, we provide an overview of positive results and biomedical advances in the field, and discuss privacy issues associated with human genomic information. Finally, we survey available privacy-enhancing technologies and list a number of open research challenges.