The right match
traditionalists scored a major point over their more radical counterparts when Nobel laureate and co-discoverer of dioxyribosenucleic acid ( dna ) James Watson explained that gene pools can get better only through arranged marriages. Watson was addressing the recently-concluded 86th Indian Science Congress Association ( isca), which was held in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, from January 3-7.
Watson, commonly referred to as the "father of genetics', said he supported the caste-based dna research that has been going on in India. "Genetics is not the root of racism. Racism existed long before casteism,' he said, thwarting all accusations that biotechnology is racism in a more modern, scientific disguise. Watson was speaking of the recent researches in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, and in West Bengal that highlighted patterns of diseases and similar dna patterns in the various Indian caste groups.
"I am excited about the history of India and the study of people with biotechnology,' he said. Watson reminded geneticists that while comparing genes and dna to caste groups, "we must recognise that humans are different. It is interesting to study how similar groups adapt to diseases, how isolated groups have greater probability of similar diseases and what is so unique about these groups'.
"There has been so much discrimination against the so-called
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