Social networking is getting a little scientific starting on Monday when the Google funded company 23andMe launches. 23andMe will be an online genetic database stocked with data points from users who submit their DNA for profiling.
The process is simple, sign up, receive the DNA saliva test and return it. Four to six weeks later 23andME will upload the results and allow you to learn about what makes you unique and what traits you share.
Most likely, with the help of a professional DNA profiler, users will be able to learn about inherited traits, ancestry and possibly some of the risks they carry for disease and illness. 23andMe, which takes its name from the 23 pairs of chromosomes in a person's genome, will display results in a way that users can visualize and understand their personal DNA data. In the future, it is expected that users will have the option to participate in scientific studies that may help researchers determine drug reactions, medical treatments or disease risk.
"The mission of 23andMe is to take the genetic revolution to a new level," said 23andMe co-founder Linda Avey.
"There wasn't an effective way for people to contribute," said fellow founder Anne Wojcicki, who has a background in health-care investing and is married to Google Inc co-founder Sergey Brin.
An obvious concern is the protection of personal data that some worry can be used to deny insurance coverage or employment however, the company assures that the data is secure with more than a dozen levels of authentication and encryption. The company also insists that while the data will eventually be made available for study, it will never be sold.
For more information check out the 23andMe website.
[Source: Yahoo News]
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Thanks L! Great post.
$999 is a BIT out of my budget ... but this does sound pretty cool.
Posted by: Easton Ellsworth | November 20, 2007 11:22 AM | Permalink to Comment