Indeed, almost 140 genes implicated in human diseases such as hereditary deafness have recognisable relatives in Arabidopsis where their importance is, as yet, unknown.

ECONOMIST: The Arabidopsis genome

In many cases, these diseases are hereditary and some people elect to have a test so that they can, if necessary, seek early medical treatment for the condition.

BBC: Insurers against genetic test ban

While many scientists talk of the benefits of genetic screening and genetic alteration, including most notably the potential for eliminating hereditary diseases and disorders, others are more skeptical and have great concerns about the technology.

CNN: The big debate: Should we alter human genes?