Summary: An English Premier League soccer club did DNA tests on its players to find out who is more susceptible to injury. The tests were conducted by a molecular geneticist and assistant professor at Yale. This test had a profile of about 100 genes linked to increased chance of getting hurt and improved performance. Nicola Maffulli, a consultant orthopedic surgeon at the University of London found that mutations in a gene called COL5A1 led to structure that supports the tendon being more loosely connected. This makes the tendon less stable. This information helps clubs know the risks for their players on an individual basis, but people fear that it may be used to cut out players prone to injuries.
Critique: I think that this provides great information for clubs. This will aid them in protecting their players and reducing injuries. However, I think it would be unfair for them to tell someone who loves soccer that they will never make it because they have the wrong genes.
Impact: This could have a tremendous impact. This will help teams protect their players, but teams might turn away people prone to injuries because of their genes.
Reference: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/10/17/dna-tests-may-determine-which-soccer-players-are-susceptible-to-injury/
Fascinating.
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