What does mega-search engine Google and mega-genome services company 23andMe have in common?
Two actually, and maybe more…
First – investments and second, spouses.
This week, Google invested $2.6 million in 23andMe on top of the $7 million invested so far. No surprise there, since Google’s co-founder Sergey Bring is the spouse of 23andMe’s co-founder Anne Wojcicki. But as CNN remarked, it’s one the perks of marrying Google.
 
In another news, biotech giant Illumina has launched a personal genome sequencing service. That is, you can have your entire genome sequenced – all 3 billion DNA – for a hefty …read more

I hear so much about genetic testing these days that I’ve always wanted to find out what that experience is like for people who had the test done. Sure, it’s painless (just a saliva or cheek scrape will do). But more than the test itself, I want to know what your life is like these days.
What was it like to know you are at risk for this X disease? What did you do with your results? Are you now eating, living better? Do you feel trapped, empowered, confused?
I do want to know. Maybe I’m the coward who …read more

Just two years since conception and personal genome services company 23andMe’s Personal Genome Service™ has earned TIME Magazine’s Best Invention of the Year for "its exceptional work in making personal genomics accessible and affordable".
Dubbed the Pioneer in retail genomics, 23andMe is able to provide genetic risk and predisposition for more than 90 traits and conditions to clients for only $399.00 and a saliva kit. Clients don’t even have to leave home to do it, and they can access it all in their personal website/database. If they so wish, clients can even compare their genomes with other family members who …read more

With genetic testing companies sprouting everywhere, people now have the resource to know their risks for certain types of disease. Companies like Navigenics, 23andme Inc. and DeCode Genetics all offer genetic tests to their consumers to show whether certain genetic mutations make them more likely to develop diseases such as heart disease, cancer or diabetes.
But is it enough to know? Or will knowing what the inherent risks are motivate a person to make changes to his lifestyle to prevent the disease from developing?
Surprisingly, no research has been performed that answers this question.
"There are a lot of anecdotes …read more

In January, The New England Journal of Medicine published an article criticizing the popularization of genetic testing by companies such as 23andme, deCode, Navigenics and Knome who doctors believe are introducing genetic testing prematurely into a commercial setting and confusing public and medics alike.  The authors of this article coined the phrase ‘recreational genomics’ for this type of testing.
While all of these companies claim that their tests should not be used as the basis for medical decisions, some physicians are concerned that customers for these tests will nevertheless begin seeking medical direction based on their results.  Doctors have been unprepared for the genetic advice they need …read more

Family Tree DNA advises it is now offering DNA Traits a personal genomics service that specializes in DNA testing for specific diseases. This company offers individual tests, group tests, and even a membership plan, all for relatively cheap prices compared to the other companies offering genome-wide SNP scans. The difference between them and their competitors, they claim, is that the patient has to meet with a genetic counselor before he or she can directly access resulting data.
Sorry, not a new service - Opaldia has been doing this for a number of years.  Opaldia’s difference is that customers also meet with a Consultant Specialist as …read more

Biotech start-ups utilizing genetic information are nothing new. Could 23andMe be unique? Yesterday, I received a nice email from their recruiting manager, Oliver Ryan. As luck would have it, I’m vacationing in the San Francisco Bay Area and hope to swing a meeting with some 23andMe folks next week, including Anne Wojcicki and Linda Avey. If there’s anything you’d like to me to ask, email me or leave a comment here.
From the little information that’s available on their website, 23andMe sounds like one-stop shopping for personal genomic information.
23andMe is an early stage startup developing tools and producing content to help …read more