A small Cambridge, Massachussetts firm called Knome (pronounced know me) is offering 20 lucky, and rich individuals the chance to have their genomes sequenced for the price of $350,000 each. While this sequence, when provided, will not in and of itself assure immortal happiness to those who possess these genes, it will provide these individuals with the opportunity to receive gene therapy or other preventive care as new genetic causes for illness are discovered in the future, assuming therapies for these diseases are also discovered. The complications set in as the definition of "disease" or "condition" seems to be expanding, at least in the world of pharmaceutical companies who have direct access to the ears and pocketbooks of consumers. If such "conditions" as ugliness, obesity, bad breath, death, sexual dysfunction or even sexual function were seen as conditions which could be controlled, then all of these things could theoretically be "corrected" as the genes responsible for these conditions are specifically identified and mediated through various treatments.

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