Large-scale studies such as the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children involve the collection of personal and biological information from thousands of people, which can then be examined by researchers. Ultimately such studies are likely to open the way to new treatments for disease - as well as giving us a clearer idea of why we are who we are.

However, the sharing of so much personal and biological information between many different research groups - and for a wide range of studies, many of which are unknown at the time of donation - also raises concerns about how the anonymity of such data can be protected.

That privacy is a fundamental human right is enshrined in UK, European and International law. Can that right be protected if we supply details of our lifestyles, families and health, along with personal biological samples, to a central bank or store? Who gets to see the information? Can it be used to identify each individual volunteer? How do we protect the information so that it doesn't fall into the wrong hands - and what happens if it does?

In the future, when biometric data is likely to be used to verify who we are, unauthorised access to DNA samples could lead to identity theft. A more immediate concern in the present is that insurers and employers could use DNA information to discriminate against people at risk from genetic diseases.

The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) was passed in the US in 2008 to help ease concerns about discrimination that might keep some people from getting genetic tests that could benefit their health. In 2007 in the UK, the Human Genetics Commission published a response to the Discrimination Law Review's consultation, calling for comprehensive legal protection against 'discrimination on any genetic grounds'.