Ukuqonda Izakhi Zofuzo Zomuntu
NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! EBRITHANI
“UMKHANKASO wokuqala ‘omkhulu wesayensi’ yezinto eziphilayo,” ‘isimangaliso sesithupha kweziyisikhombisa zezwe lanamuhla’—kokubili lokhu kuyizincazelo ze-Human Genome Project, umzamo wamazwe onke wokuqonda umuntu! Iyini i-genome? Iyingqikithi yokwakheka kwezakhi zakho zofuzo, ingxenye eyodwa ezuzwe njengefa kubaba wakho futhi enye ingxenye kumama wakho kodwa manje esingeyakho.
Izazi zezakhi zofuzo uSir Walter Bodmer noRobin McKie babiza lomkhankaso we-genome ngokuthi “iNcwadi Yomuntu.” Kodwa ukuyifunda akuwona umsebenzi olula. “Abantu ngeke besayithola isethi ebaluleke kakhulu kunalena yezincwadi zeziyalezo,” kusho uJames Watson, omunye wososayensi abadunyiswa ngokuthola ukwakheka kwe-molecule edumile ye-DNA. Uthi: “Lapho ekugcineni sezichaziwe, izigijimi zezakhi zofuzo ezikuma-molecule ethu e-DNA ziyonikeza amakhambi abalulekile ezisekelo zamakhemikhali okuba khona komuntu.”
Njenganoma yimuphi umkhankaso wesayensi omkhulu nobizayo, i-Human Genome Project inakho kokubili abasekeli nabagxeki. Umlobi wesayensi uJoel Davis uyaxwayisa: “I-Genome Project ingase ibe ukwephulwa ngokuphelele kwamalungelo angasese noma ingase ibe isihluthulelo esingavamile sokuphila okuvuselelwe, impilo, ukwelashwa.” Kodwa kungakhathaliseki ukuthi ifezani, ukholelwa ukuthi “iyowushintsha ngokuphelele umkhakha wesayensi yezakhi zofuzo” nokuthi “ingase iyishintshe ngokuphelele imvelo yohlanga lwesintu.” Emuva ngo-1989, uGeorge Cahill, iphini likamongameli wase-Howard Hughes Medical Institute, wayeqiniseka. Wathi: “Izosembulela konke. Ukuziphendukela kwemvelo, izifo, zonke izinto ziyosekelwa kulokho okutholakala kulelobhande elimangalisayo elibizwa ngokuthi i-DNA.”
Umsebenzi Omkhulu
Ngo-1988 iqembu lososayensi bomhlaba wonke lasungula i-HUGO (Human Genome Organization) ukuze ixhumanise umsebenzi wabacwaningi be-genome emazweni ahilelekile. Njengoba inesikhwama esingamaRandi angaba yizigidi zezinkulungwane ezingu-12,7, i-HUGO idlulisela imiphumela yalamazwe eqoqweni lokwaziswa kwama-computer. Nakuba manje ama-computer ehlaziya izinkulungwane zezingxenye zayo nsuku zonke, i-genome iyinkimbinkimbi kangangokuba ososayensi abanathemba lokuqeda ukuyihlaziya kuze kube sesikhathini esithile ekhulwini lama-21. Umagazini i-Scientific American ulinganisela ukuthi uma i-genome ibinganyatheliswa njengencwadi, bekungathatha “ingxenye yesithathu yobude bokuphila” ukuyifunda yonke.
Ngemva kokuphikisana okukhulu ososayensi banquma ukulandela lendlela elandelayo. Okokuqala, bahlose ukuhlaziya i-“genome” ukuze bathole ukuthi zikuphi lezizakhi zofuzo ezingu-100 000. Ngokulandelayo, ngenqubo ebizwa ngokuthi ukulandelanisa izingxenye ze-“genome,” banethemba lokuthola ukuhleleka kwezingxenye zesakhi ngasinye sofuzo. Umgomo wabo wokugcina ukulandelanisa amanye amaphesenti angu-95 kuya kwangu-98 ezakhi zethu zofuzo.
Ingabe ukufinyelela konke lokhu kuyokwembula zonke izinto okumelwe zaziwe ngokuphila komuntu? Ingabe i-genome iqukethe ‘isethi yezincwadi zeziyalezo ebaluleke kunawo wonke’ ake atholwa umuntu? Ingabe i-Human Genome Project izoletha amakhambi azo zonke izifo zomuntu? Izihloko ezilandelayo zicabangela lemibuzo.