DNA and Right to Privacy

[bhunter]

A California legislator wants to increase an individual's privacy wrt to a person's DNA. Researchers typically use such information for broad studies that lead to new discoveries and likely saves lives. Now, is the privacy interest here outweighed by the benefits to the community that accrue from compiling such databases? Furthermore, is an individual's DNA, though unique, an attribute of the individual or the species?

Here's the article:

http://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...-considers-dna

Keep in mind how much excellent research occurred from Henrietta Lacks' cells (HeLa immortal cell line) harvested from her in 1951. She unfortunately died from her cancer in 1951, but the HeLa cell line continues to help others.