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DNA Chip Disadvantages

A DNA chip or DNA microarray is used to collect DNA on a small, concentrated area. These chips are basically used to represent and understand genes, and could lead to biological and medical breakthroughs. While a DNA chip is tangible proof of scientific advancement and offers many benefits, there are still four main disadvantages.
  1. High Cost

    • Probably the biggest disadvantage of DNA chips is that they are expensive to create. While the costs have slightly dropped and are likely to continue to drop, the current cost of creating DNA chips is still expensive, at around $100. As a result, only well-funded laboratories have the finances to experiment with this technology.

    Production Problems

    • Another issue with DNA chips is the production difficulties involved. This is mainly due to the fact that most DNA chips can only be made by certain manufacturers with the right technology. As a result, it's often difficult or it takes a long time for actual researchers to obtain DNA chips. Although production techniques have improved, there is still much more development needed to make the process more efficient.

    Data Misinterpretation

    • One serious problem that many researchers face is simply analyzing the data correctly. Since there is still much work to be done with DNA chips, it's very easy for scientists to misinterpret data. This is primarily because there is so much data on each chip, and it's often difficult to correctly process all of it. As a result, incorrect conclusions can easily occur, which sometimes leads to misleading results.

    Ethical Dilemma

    • Perhaps a less recognized disadvantage is the ethical dilemma involved with DNA chips. While these chips are mainly designed to understand and prevent diseases, there are ethical boundaries that are often crossed. For example, DNA chips could help create disease-free humans and potentially extend the natural lifespan. In turn, the global population could be dramatically boosted, which could lead to overpopulation. That's why there are moral quandaries --- this type of technology allows humans to essentially "play God."


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