Sometime this spring, researchers are expected to finish deciphering most of the human genome -- the collection of some 100,000 genes that contain the operating instructions for the human body. The stunning accomplishment is expected to enable doctors to diagnose many diseases from a patient's genetic profile and treat or even prevent diseases by targeting the underlying genetic flaws. But revealing the genome's secrets also poses a host of legal and ethical concerns, including whether genetic information should be patented or kept in the public domain. Critics also worry about potential privacy violations, discrimination by insurers or employers seeking to exclude the genetically “flawed” and the psychological impact of genetic testing for incurable diseases.

Mary H. Cooper specializes in environmental, energy and defense issues. Before joining CQ Researcher as a staff writer in 1983, she was a reporter and Washington correspondent for the Rome daily newspaper l'Unita. She is the author of The Business of Drugs (CQ Press, 1990). She also is a contract translator-interpreter for the U.S. State Department. Cooper graduated from Hollins College in English.