Applying genomic technologies in environmental health research: Challengesand opportunities

Recent discoveries in molecular biology and genetics have made it possible for environmental health researchers to examine how genetic characteristics affect response to environmental exposures. Understanding such gene-enviro nment interactions offers exciting possibilities for the prevention and con trol of environmentally induced diseases. Despite these potential benefits, the collection and analysis of genetic information in environmental health research presents many of the same ethical, legal, and social (ELSI) chall enges found in other types of genetic research. In this article, we describ e a number of ELSI challenges in environmental genomic research and the opp ortunities and responsibilities that accompany this research.