Team:TUDelft/AppliedDesign
Overview
Health risks and ethical dilemmas are inherent to using gene therapy for human enhancement. Sports is currently the only field where active measures are taken against genetic enhancement, known as gene doping. Present gene doping detection methods like nested PCR and the privacy invasive whole genome sequencing lack versatility to detect the plethora of genetic differences or would take up to 37 years per Olympic games respectively. Therefore, we developed a comprehensive package consisting of a cheap and upscalable gold nanoparticle based prescreening, a novelly designed, produced and tested fusion protein for targeted sequencing and a self-learning algorithm for data analysis to anticipate future gene doping development. In this way, we not only provide Doping Laboratories, but more broadly also Bloodbanks and Food Safety Institutes around the world with a versatile, efficient and reliable method to ensure a healthy and secure future.
Gene Doping: The Threat
Gene doping is a true problem. It is the first doping that could not only find interest in the athlete population, but also in the rest of society. Thereby it is not only a global, but especially an intergenerational problem, given the possibility of (accidental) germ line infections, as well as the extension it finds in the designer baby concept. These phenomena and their acceptance in society will largely shape our future, making a strong focus on and the debate about gene doping absolutely indispensable.
Sports Coach Stirling
Due to lacking figures on actual gene doping use, unfortunately we cannot say gene doping is happening for sure. However, in this case the question should not be whether it is already happening. Is should be whether we can afford not to worry. That is what we wanted so solve, because responsible innovation starts with anticipation.