ICT, Genes, and Peer-production of Knowledge to Empower Citizens' Health

The different and seemingly unrelated practices of ICT devices used to collect and\r\nshare personal and scientific data within networked communities, and the organized\r\nstorage of human genetic samples and information—namely biobanking—have\r\nmerged with another recent epistemic and social phenomenon, namely scientists and\r\ncitizens collaborating as "peers" in creating knowledge (or peer-production of\r\nknowledge).\r\nThese different dimensions can be found in joint initiatives where scientists-andcitizens\r\nuse genetic information and ICT as powerful ways to gain more control over\r\ntheir health and the environment. While this kind of initiative usually takes place only\r\nafter rights have been infringed (or are put at risk)—as the two cases presented in the\r\npaper show—, collaborative scientists-and-citizens' knowledge should be institutionally\r\nallowed to complement and corroborate official knowledge supporting policies.