Author : Michael Cheng-tek Tai

Summary : The purpose of a biobabnk is to gather and study the genetic information of a group of people to understand their genetic formation and discover whether or not some inherited diseases are present so that measures can be taken either to repair of alter these defects. In order to do this, extraction of blood from people is required. How much tissue should be taken has been an issue of concern to some ethics while other human right groups also argue that this biobank should not be established at all because it runs the danger of breaching personal confidentiality. This paper brings up these concerns and argues that no extra blood sample should be taken if this biobank is to be established. A survey of some medical students views on so-called "left-over tissue" was also undertaken.