Rediscovering the Ethical Priority of the Most Actionable System of Biomolecules—The Metabolome

A remarkable feature of US federal investments in human genetics has been the availability of parallel funding for studies examining ethical, legal and social implications (ELSI). This funding has allowed ELSI researchers to develop new strategies to understand genetics, evaluate the benefits of genetic testing, and propose health policy that maximize the promise while minimizing harms. Despite successes, a consequence of this investment is the preoccupation with what is arguably the least actionable system of biomolecules, human DNA. In contrast, the most actionable system of biomolecules, the metabolome, is grossly understudied, despite its often more alarming ELSI.