DNA in the News

When Will They Learn?

Blaine Bettinger 7 Comments

Andy Sullivan is a general-assignment reporter for Reuters and just wrote “DNA Tests Don’t Always Help Uncover Family.” The article discusses his recent experience with genetic genealogy, including a Y-DNA and mtDNA test from DNA Ancestry.

Although the article is a little light on the genetic genealogy and incorporates a discussion of an online genealogy database, it is always interesting to read an article by someone who has just been tested. As I was reading the article, the following paragraph jumped out of the page and slapped me in the face:

“These tests promise to reveal long-lost relatives, uncover roots obscured by slavery, or simply allow those curious about where they came from to skip all that tedious digging.” ... Click to read more!

Poll Results – Are You Interested in Genomic Analysis?

Blaine Bettinger

In light of the launch of 23andMe and deCODEme, two genomic analysis companies, I recently asked whether or not my readers were interested in analysis of their own genome. The results suggest that of the people who voted, many were interested in the idea. The poll received a total of 51 votes, and I thank everyone who took a moment to cast their opinion (and I was very pleased with how well PollDaddy worked). Here are the results:

pollresults2.jpg

 

pollresults.jpg

It looks as though many people are interested in genomic analysis, and that a significant number have some concerns that must be addressed or resolved before they would consider it.

bbgm had a poll on his blog, with the results posted recently at “Your Personal Health: Readers Vote Yes“. Again, similar to my results, readers were interested in genomic analysis. ... Click to read more!

You Can Now Buy a Genetic Test at Rite-Aid

Blaine Bettinger 4 Comments

It’s not a whole-genome scan or a genetic genealogy test, but it’s still a DNA test from the drug store shelves. Soon you will be able to purchase a paternity test from Rite-Aid.

The test is being offered by Sorenson Genomics. According to an article from Monday’s New York Times:

“A company called Sorenson Genomics has started selling a paternity test kit through Rite Aid stores in California, Oregon and Washington. It appears to be the first time a DNA test is being sold through a major pharmacy chain.”

“The test, sold under the brand name Identigene, has a suggested list price of $29.99, though a reporter purchased one at a Rite Aid in Santa Monica, Calif., for $19.99. There is an additional laboratory fee of $119 to have the samples analyzed.” ... Click to read more!

A Round-Up of Discussions Following the Launch of deCODEme and 23andMe

Blaine Bettinger 12 Comments

I have been accused of being a little too thorough sometimes.All things considered, that’s a flaw that I can live with.In the name of thorough, I offer the following review of recent online references to this weekend’s launch of personal genome analysis companies deCODEme and 23andMe.If you’re tired of hearing about the topic feel free to skip this post, but if you’re interested in the conversation that these launches have stimulated, read onward.

Kara Swisher at All Things Digital recently toured the new offices of 23andMe.The article – “Kara Visits 23andMe” – has a brief write-up and three videos.The first video is Ms. Swisher’s tour of the offices and includes an overview of the DNA collection kit and a brief interview with Linda Avey and Anne Wojcicki.The second and third videos are part of a longer interview with Avey and Wojcicki. ... Click to read more!

GINA: An Update III

Blaine Bettinger 1 Comment

The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, known in shorthand as GINA, is federal legislation that would prohibit insurance companies from discriminating against an applicant based on genetic information, the refusal to submit genetic information, or for have been genetically tested in the past. The Act, if passed, would also prohibit employers from using or collecting genetic information to make employment decisions. I wrote a GINA Primer in April, if you’re interested in learning more about the Act (here’s the full text of the legislation). The Act, which is currently a bill before the Senate, easily passed the House of Representatives (97% voted aye), and President Bush has said that he would sign the bill into law if it reaches his desk. ... Click to read more!

23andMe Launches Their Personal Genome Service

Blaine Bettinger 22 Comments

23andme-logo1.jpg

I have written a lot about the Mountain View based personal genome start-up company 23andMe (February 14th, April 9th, June 19th, July 31st, and September 13th, to name a few). As a matter of fact, if you google “23andMe”, The Genetic Genealogist is the second result.

Today, announced by an article in the New York Times (My Genome, Myself: Seeking Clues in DNA) and Wired (23andMe Will Decode Your DNA for $1000. Welcome to the Age of Genomics), 23andMe has officially launched.

If you visit 23andMe, you’ll notice that the site has been completely revamped, and they are now accepting orders for their Personal Genome Service, for $999.

So what does 23andMe offer? According to the company’s Genotyping Section:

“In all, 23andMe looks at more than 500,000 SNPs scattered across the 23 pairs of chromosomes that constitute the human genetic sequence. We also look at a few thousand places on the mitochondrial DNA, an odd loop of genetic material outside the nucleus that is involved in producing energy for the cell.” ... Click to read more!

The First Personal Genomic Sequencing Test Offered for $985

Blaine Bettinger 20 Comments

decodeme.jpg

Today, deCODE genetics announced the launch of their consumer genotyping service, deCODEme.deCODEme is the first personal genomics company to launch, and will provide sequencing information about 1 million SNPs for the introductory price of $985.The service has two components:

1.The genotyping of ~1 million SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms, or personal differences in the genetic code), and;

2.A secured website for presenting the data obtained from the sequencing.

The official press release from the parent company deCODE genetics, contains some interesting information about the product:

“Through your subscription to deCODEme, you can learn what your DNA says about your ancestry, your body –traits such as hair and eye color– as well as whether you may have genetic variants that have been associated with higher or lower than average risk of a range of common diseases. This information will be continually updated as new discoveries are made. ... Click to read more!

Genetic Genealogy in the Classroom

Blaine Bettinger 7 Comments

genographic.JPG

Forty advanced placement science students at Soldan International High School in St. Louis have submitted their DNA for testing with the National Geographic Society’s Genographic project. An article in the St. Louis-Post Dispatch highlights some of the statements made by the students and faculty:

“Many times students don’t see the relevance of what they’re learning,” said Assistant Principal Alice Manus, the Soldan project coordinator. “What they’re learning here will have all sorts of relevance because, really, we’re looking into their lives.”

One student, named John, had more reason to be excited about this test than most – his father died when he was only 13. “I never knew him that well,” said the Soldan sophomore. “Maybe this will tell me more about who he was and where he came from.” ... Click to read more!

Genetic Genealogy Eliminates Two As Descendants of Joseph Smith

Blaine Bettinger 8 Comments

Update: Ugo Perego is not affiliated withh the website mentioned in the last two sentences.

Did Joseph Smith father children with any of his plural wives? The Deseret News has a lengthy article about recent efforts by a geneticist to answer the long-debated question about the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement.

Ugo Perego, the director of operations at the Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation, has used genetic genealogy in an attempt to identify or rule out potential descendants of Smith. In 2005, Perego showed that three males were not descendants of Smith, and new testing has shown that two more alleged descendants of Smith are not his true descendants.

In order to rule out descendants, it was first necessary to characterize the Y-DNA thought to belong to Joseph Smith. According to the article: ... Click to read more!

True ‘Roots’ – Update on Chris and Alex Haley’s Y-DNA

Blaine Bettinger 8 Comments

The 24-7 Family History Circle has an update on a story I wrote about few weeks ago (Chris and Alex Haley’s DNA). Chris Haley, the nephew of author Alex Haley, recently agreed to submit DNA for a Y-DNA test. Like his uncle, Haley is very interested in genealogy and his ancestry.

According to the article, which was written by Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak, the Haleys were already fairly certain of their ancestry: “to the best of the family’s knowledge, the progenitor of the Haley line was of European origin, not African.” Indeed, the results show that the Haley Y-DNA belongs to Haplogroup R1b, a traditionally European haplogroup. My favorite part of this article, and one that many of my readers might find interesting, are all the suggestions regarding future directions that Haley can take to learn more about his ‘roots’ (sorry, I had to). Interestingly, Haley already has an anonymous 46-marker match in the DNA Ancestry database. ... Click to read more!