<h2>Open Access</h2>
Family Tree DNA, a major consumer genetic testing company, gave the FBI access to its massive DNA database. While running genetic analysis on evidence isn&#8217;t new, Family Tree DNA is the first private company to voluntarily grant a law enforcement agency to access its data, <a href="https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/salvadorhernandez/family-tree-dna-fbi-investigative-genealogy-privacy">according to BuzzFeed News</a>.
For the company&#8217;s roughly 1 million customers who wanted to learn more about their heritage, that means the FBI can poke around in their genetic profile — and, by extension, that of their relatives.
<h2>Admin123</h2>
Ironically, Family Tree DNA was recently deemed the best DNA kit for consumer privacy by both <a href="https://health.usnews.com/wellness/articles/2019-01-07/best-dna-testing-kits">U.S. News</a> and <a href="https://www.pcworld.com/article/3317567/data-center-cloud/best-dna-kits.html">PCWorld</a>.
Perhaps in response to that discrepancy, Family Tree DNA&#8217;s founder and CEO Bennett Greenspan <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/familytreedna--connecting-families-and-saving-lives-300788024.html?fbclid=IwAR1MAx_zyzh2gl7Tgv1RMVf8cqSTxJPlfB4RFPk54Ch_MdK-p1-7BEntRlk">published a statement</a> on Thursday arguing that cooperating and sharing information with the FBI didn&#8217;t violate the company&#8217;s privacy policies. He said that the FBI can upload and analyze crime scene data, but can&#8217;t access anyone else&#8217;s information without a warrant or subpoena.
&#8220;Working with law enforcement to process DNA samples from the scene of a violent crime or identifying an unknown victim does not change our policy never to sell or barter our customers’ private information with a third party,&#8221; Greenspan said. &#8220;Our policy remains fully intact and in force.&#8221;
<h2>One-Way Mirror</h2>
The company refused to tell BuzzFeed News how many new cases were being investigated or specifically how much the FBI was using its genetic database.
That lack of transparency, along with the surprise announcement that the FBI could use Family Tree DNA&#8217;s tools, has displeased some former employees.
&#8220;At a time people distrust science, it&#8217;s more important than ever that people understand and consent to how their information is being used,&#8221; David Mittelman, former Family Tree DNA chief scientist <a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/the-download/612875/a-consumer-dna-testing-company-has-given-the-fbi-access-to-its-two-million/">told MIT Technology Review</a>. &#8220;No one wants to wake up to learn the terms of use changed by press release.&#8221;
READ MORE: <a href="https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/salvadorhernandez/family-tree-dna-fbi-investigative-genealogy-privacy">One Of The Biggest At-Home DNA Testing Companies Is Working With The FBI</a> [Buzzfeed News]
More on genetic testing: <a href="https://futurism.com/genetic-counselor-23andme-cancer-screening">We Asked a Genetic Counselor About 23andMe’s New Cancer Test</a>

"No one wants to wake up to learn the terms of use changed by press release."

A DNA testing company gave its data to the FBI

Come On In

Family Tree DNA, recently celebrated as the most privacy-minded consumer DNA testing company, is now granting database access to the FBI.

This DNA Testing Company Gave Its Data to the FBI

Do you want cops poking around your genetic data?

Since <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/watson_and_crick.shtml" target="_blank" rel="noopener">James Watson and Francis Crick</a> unlocked they mystery of DNA&#8217;s double-stranded helix in the early 1950&#8217;s, human understanding of genetics has grown by leaps and bounds. Less than 50 years after winning the Nobel Prize for their work, the ideas Crick and Watson put forth lead to the completion of the Human Genome Project (in 2003), giving scientists a remarkably clear picture of how humanity is constructed.
Now, 15-years later, technology has advanced to the point where anyone can swab the inside of their mouths and, for a nominal fee, gain access to their own genetic code. But to paraphrase renowned 20th century mathematician <a href="http://jurassicpark.wikia.com/wiki/Ian_Malcolm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ian Malcolm</a>, just because we can doesn&#8217;t necessarily mean we should, at least not without first performing our due diligence.
Before you jump on the DNA bandwagon, it&#8217;s important to stop and think about how your information will be used, and what control you have over your own DNA once you send in a sample. For example, is your DNA test kept private, or can it be sold to third parties? How secure is your data from hackers? Can an insurance company gain access? How about law enforcement? Are you able to <a href="https://futurism.com/home-dna-genomic-data">have the sample destroyed?</a>
These are just a few of the questions people should be asking before they allow a third party access to their very essence. Luckily, the following companies clearly answer these privacy concerns, and more, on their websites. So while it&#8217;s up to you to research which test is right for you, the following list will give you a nice head start.
<h1>Ancestry</h1>
<figure id="attachment_140875" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="size-full wp-image-140875" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2018/10/ancestry.jpg" alt="" width="1200" height="800" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Unsplash</figcaption></figure>
Ancestry.com, the world&#8217;s largest for-profit genealogy company, turned researching family histories into a billion-dollar business. For its next act, the company is betting that consumers will be as interested in genetics as they are in genealogy. That&#8217;s why it&#8217;s now offering a detailed DNA test capable of tracing your genetic ancestry to &#8220;over 350 regions—sometimes down to a city.&#8221; Based on the results, the company is also able to offer possible ancestral migration patterns, DNA matches to living relatives, and an estimate of your potential ethnic makeup.
<a href="https://www.ancestry.com/dna/#faqSection" target="_blank" rel="noopener">As far as security is concerned</a>, Ancestry.com uses &#8220;industry standard security practices to store your DNA sample, your DNA test results, and other personal data you provide.&#8221; As an added precaution, your DNA information is stored &#8220;without your name or other common identifying information.&#8221; You also retain ownership of your DNA data, and can chose to have it deleted at any time.
<h1><a href="http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-8288732-12917102">23andMe</a></h1>
<figure id="attachment_140874" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-8288732-12917102"><img class="size-full wp-image-140874" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2018/10/23andme.jpg" alt="" width="1200" height="800" /></a><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Unsplash</figcaption></figure>
Based in Mountain View CA, <a href="http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-8288732-12917102" target="_blank" rel="noopener">23andMe</a> takes its name from the 23 pairs of chromosomes found in a typical human cell. And like our previous entry, it offers a detailed genetic ancestry test which can trace your roots back to a 150 different geographic regions. But the company also offers a variety of reports that examine your health – including your risk for certain diseases, your carrier status for inherited conditions, and an analysis of other genetic traits.
In order to keep your information private, <a href="https://www.23andme.com/privacy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">23andMe assigns</a> a randomized customer identification number to your DNA sample and stores it in a &#8220;physically separate computing environment&#8221; from your personal information (name, credit card, etc.). You also control whether or not your saliva sample is placed in storage after the test is conducted, and whether your account is visible to other 23andMe members. The company will not share your results with third parties without your consent, including insurance companies or employers. It will also not share your information with the government unless legally compelled to do so with a valid subpoena, warrant or order.
<h1><a href="http://www.kqzyfj.com/click-8288732-13475217">Helix</a></h1>
<figure id="attachment_140873" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="http://www.kqzyfj.com/click-8288732-13475217"><img class="size-full wp-image-140873" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2018/10/helix.jpg" alt="" width="1200" height="800" /></a><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Unsplash</figcaption></figure>
Our next entry is <a href="http://www.kqzyfj.com/click-8288732-13475217" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Helix</a>, which also offers genealogical and health-related insights from genetic testing. However, what separates this service from competitors is the fact that it offers an &#8220;entire marketplace of products&#8221; of customized DNA research via third party vendors. As a result, users are able to &#8220;unlock more DNA,&#8221; which results in 100-times more data than your average at-home test. Helix and its partners then use this information to provide &#8220;more actionable insights,&#8221; such as how you can best optimize your workouts to lose weight, or &#8220;which wines taste best on [your] palate.&#8221;
All of Helix&#8217;s third-party vendors are required to &#8220;<a href="https://www.helix.com/pages/privacy-and-policy-highlights" target="_blank" rel="noopener">meet the standards that [Helix] established</a> when it comes to privacy, security, control, and experience.&#8221; The company also claims it will not &#8220;sell or share your DNA data without your permission.&#8221; That said, according to the Helix website, each partner sets its own policies for its products, so it&#8217;s up to users to do their own research before purchasing.
And as far as legal matters are concerned, &#8220;Helix evaluates law enforcement and other legal requests for data on a case-by-case basis.&#8221; If a request from law enforcement is made, the company&#8217;s policy is to notify the user &#8220;unless [they] are legally prohibited from doing so.&#8221;
<h1><a href="http://shrsl.com/18qa8">Embark</a></h1>
<figure id="attachment_140871" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="http://shrsl.com/18qa8"><img class="size-full wp-image-140871" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2018/10/embark.jpg" alt="" width="1200" height="800" /></a><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Unsplash</figcaption></figure>
Last but not least, we have <a href="http://shrsl.com/18qa8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Embark</a>, a company that uses one of humanity&#8217;s greatest achievements to offer insights on man&#8217;s best friend. The test looks at 200,000 genetic markers to determine your dog&#8217;s breed, traits, and other useful information. More than a simple vanity project for purebred breeders, Embark allows everyday pet owners information on nearly 165 genetic health conditions, so that preventive measures can be taken. This could lead to smaller vet bills down the road, and more importantly, a longer, happier life for your four-legged friend.
And if your dog&#8217;s genetic privacy is something you value, you&#8217;ll be happy to know that <a href="https://embarkvet.com/frequently-asked-questions/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Embark will never share identifying information without your explicit permission</a> (although the dog&#8217;s consent isn&#8217;t mentioned). And while the company does share aggregated, non-identifying information for research purposes, you are able to opt out.
Based on the popularity of genetic testing kits, there&#8217;s no shortage of people interested in using DNA to gain insights into their health and family history. In fact, the consumer genetic testing market is expected to grow into a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/small-business-network/2017/may/25/dna-testing-we-created-the-market-for-what-we-do-living-dna-dnafit-geneu" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$340 million industry by 2022</a>. But as mentioned above, trusting a third party with your DNA should not be a matter of faith. It&#8217;s important to understand how your DNA will be used, and who will have access. And while it&#8217;s ultimately up to you to decide what service to use, if any, the companies listed above have clearly stated their commitment to maintaining the privacy of their users and remaining transparent about how they use your DNA.
Futurism fans: To create this content, a non-editorial team worked with an affiliate partner. We may collect a small commission on items purchased through this page. This post does not necessarily reflect the views or the endorsement of the Futurism.com editorial staff.

Four genetic tests that will unlock your DNA while respecting your privacy

Brands We Love

These DNA testing companies can tell you a lot about your genetic history. But what's the best way to make sure your DNA info will stay private?

Four Genetic Tests That Will Unlock Your DNA While Respecting Your Privacy

Keep control of your chromosomes.

<h2>SONG OF MY PEOPLE</h2>
Family tree database Ancestry announced this weekend that it&#8217;s teaming up with music streaming service Spotify for an unusual offering. Provide the results of your AncestryDNA test, and Spotify will provide a &#8220;mix of music, inspired by your origins,&#8221; according to a <a href="https://www.ancestry.com/cs/spotify">press release</a>.
It&#8217;s a cute idea. But handing over your genetic information for a non-medical reason is pretty darn sketchy.
<h2>IN MY GENES</h2>
I admit, I&#8217;m not a big fan of Ancestry&#8217;s. The site once <a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2015/04/myfamily_shuttered_ancestry_com_deleted_10_years_of_my_family_history.html">deleted about a decade</a> of my family&#8217;s correspondence — along with many other families&#8217; data — when it shuttered an old product a few years ago.
But, hey, don&#8217;t listen to me. Listen to SPIN writer Rob Arcand, who <a href="https://www.spin.com/2018/09/ancestry-dna-genetic-data-spotify-playlist-partnership/">implored readers</a> not to give up their genetic data for the promotion. He cited a <a href="https://thinkprogress.org/ancestry-com-takes-dna-ownership-rights-from-customers-and-their-relatives-dbafeed02b9e/">ThinkProgress investigation</a> that found that Ancestry&#8217;s terms of service stipulate that the company claims ownership to customers&#8217; DNA in perpetuity.
The privacy concerns with DNA kits like Ancestry or 23andMe aren&#8217;t theoretical. Earlier this year, police caught a serial killer who was active in the 1970s and 80s (a good thing) by plugging his DNA into <a href="https://www.sacbee.com/latest-news/article209908769.html">genealogical sites like Ancestry</a> (which many <a href="https://www.vox.com/2018/4/27/17290288/golden-state-killer-joseph-james-deangelo-dna-profile-match">saw as setting a dangerous precedent</a>).
Worse yet, the results just don&#8217;t seem to be worth it. Jezebel writer Ashley Reese <a href="https://themuse.jezebel.com/i-hate-my-dna-now-1829232938">tried the playlist feature out</a> and found most of the results to be dull and generic.
&#8220;Protecting our customers’ privacy is Ancestry’s highest priority,&#8221; said Ancestry spokesperson Gina Spatafore in a statement to Futurism. &#8220;Spotify does not have access to DNA data of any Ancestry customers. Customers can manually input regions, into the playlist generator on Spotify and then a custom playlist is created with songs by artists from the various regions and across a wide variety of musical genres. All information is manually input by customers and the experience is completely optional.&#8221;
<h2>HERITAGE</h2>
There&#8217;s also the question of whether what it means to trust a tech company like Spotify to recommend songs based on people&#8217;s genetic origins, which online observers worried could be culturally ham-fisted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
literally no one asked for this.
everyone’s playlist is gonna have “Africa” by Toto and it’s gonna be lame asf
&mdash; Blogavelli the Don (@blogavelli) <a href="https://twitter.com/blogavelli/status/1044243862460485634?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
the online dna grift has always made me really uncomfortable but of course once you add spotify it just turns into straight-up 19th-century racial determinism <a href="https://t.co/KG7RWfpkws">https://t.co/KG7RWfpkws</a>
&mdash; Jack Hamilton (@jack_hamilton) <a href="https://twitter.com/jack_hamilton/status/1044259853932396544?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The bottom line: Society is still working out the norms or laws around what companies can do with your DNA — so for now, maybe you should hold off on sharing yours.
READ MORE: If you could listen to your DNA, what would it sound like? [<a href="https://www.ancestry.com/cs/spotify">Ancestry</a>]
More on paralysis: <a href="https://futurism.com/home-genetics-test-dog-human/">Some Genetic Tests Apparently Can’t Tell If You’re Dog Or Human</a>

Health & Medicine

SONG OF MY PEOPLE Family tree database Ancestry announced this weekend that it’s teaming up with music streaming service Spotify for an unusual offering. Provide the results of your AncestryDNA test, and Spotify will provide a “mix of music, inspired by your origins,” according to a press release. It’s a cute idea. But handing over your […]

Spotify Will Make a Playlist Based on Your DNA

This is a collaboration we could do without.

The good news about that way-too-personal Instagram post you did at 3 AM the other night? You can <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2017/02/10/erasing-yourself-from-the-internet-is-nearly-impossible-but-heres-how-you-can-try/?utm_term=.511bd00fe78c" target="_blank" rel="noopener">(pretty much) delete</a> it. But deleting your DNA data once you share it? Well, that&#8217;s basically impossible.
The at-home DNA testing industry is booming. As of February, more than <a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/s/610233/2017-was-the-year-consumer-dna-testing-blew-up/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">12 million people</a> had spit into test tubes or submitted cheek swabs to Ancestry.com, 23andMe, MyHeritage, and the dozens of other testing companies that have emerged in recent years. These services can analyze your DNA to tell you everything from your <a href="https://futurism.com/23andme-sell-genetic-tests-cancer-risk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cancer risk</a> to the names of dozens of <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/16/style/23-and-me-ancestry-dna.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">family members</a> you didn&#8217;t know you had. And they&#8217;re pretty affordable, starting <a href="https://www.myheritage.com/dna" target="_blank" rel="noopener">around $69</a>.
Seems like a fun, inexpensive way to get to know yourself, right? But what if you decide you&#8217;re no longer comfortable with the thought of a testing company having your DNA? A journalist for <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-06-15/deleting-your-online-dna-data-is-brutally-difficult">Bloomberg found this out first-hand,</a> and learned just how hard it can be.
Kristen V. Brown sent her spit to at least three different companies over the years. She went around to them asking them to get rid of what they had on her.
Ancestry.com allowed her to delete her data online, but a week after she called to ask the company to destroy her DNA sample, it was still intact.
23andMe told her initially that the tools needed to delete her data and sample were “not currently available.” Later, the company told her it couldn&#8217;t legally delete her genetic info due to <a href="https://wwwn.cdc.gov/clia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">government regulations</a>.
Only one company, Exploragen, told the Bloomberg reporter it would completely delete her genetic information.
<iframe width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/55xf_gSmc94?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Because, here&#8217;s the thing: in your excitement to figure out if you&#8217;re part Native American after all, you might not have realized that you have very little control over where your genetic information goes after it reaches the company you initially sent it to.
A thorough read of the terms of service and privacy policies will reveal that most testing companies have permission to <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3165765" target="_blank" rel="noopener">share your DNA data</a> with third parties, such as law enforcement or scientific researchers. In some cases, they may even sell it, perhaps to an insurance company that might choose to <a href="http://miami.cbslocal.com/2018/05/10/consequences-home-dna-tests/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">deny you coverage</a> based on predictions about your health (it&#8217;s <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/3055710/if-you-want-life-insurance-think-twice-before-getting-genetic-testing">illegal for health insurance companies</a> to deny you coverage based on your genetic test, but not for life insurance companies).
Because your DNA data doesn&#8217;t stay between you and the testing company, tracking down and deleting every trace of it is essentially impossible.
One more frustrating element: it&#8217;s <a href="https://futurism.com/home-genetic-tests-false-results/">not clear just how accurate</a> these tests even are. One investigative report found that some couldn&#8217;t even tell <a href="https://futurism.com/home-genetics-test-dog-human/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">human and dog DNA</a> apart. Looking at it through a particularly pessimistic lens, that could mean you&#8217;re paying these companies to take your valuable DNA and getting only flawed information in return.
So the next time you start wondering about fact-checking whether a family legend about your ancestry is true, you might want to wait until the direct-to-consumer genomics industry is a bit more mature and has policies that can work in your favor. Unless you don&#8217;t mind your DNA being shared far and wide, that is.

They really don't want to destroy your sample.

Think deleting your Facebook profile is hard? Try deleting your genomic data

Once shared with an at-home DNA testing company, your genomic data is, more or less, out of your hands.

Think Deleting Your Facebook Profile Is Hard? Try Deleting Your Genomic Data

You can’t un-spit into that test tube.

Think Deleting Your Facebook Profile Is Hard? Try Deleting Your Genomic Data.

Genetic tests that were once only available through doctors are now sent right to your mailbox. PerkinElmer and its consumer genomics marketplace, Helix, have announced that they will soon start selling tests for serious genetic diseases.
Helix&#8217;s new offerings could make it a strong competitor against genetic testing giant 23andMe, which currently offers a <a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-health-ancestry/">limited array</a> of tests for health conditions (which will <a href="https://futurism.com/23andme-sell-genetic-tests-cancer-risk/">soon see cancer risk</a> added to the mix) alongside the ancestry tests that made it famous.
Unlike 23andMe, Helix combines its genetic testing service with offerings from third parties (<a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/s/608313/a-dna-app-store-is-here-but-proceed-with-caution/">MIT Tech Review compared it </a>to a &#8220;DNA app store&#8221;), giving users a wide array of products that utilize their genomic data. Maybe you want to learn about how much Neanderthal DNA you have? There&#8217;s an app for that. How about socks, shirts and prints personalized with stripes meant to represent your DNA variants? That&#8217;s there, too. Helix&#8217;s store even offers a test, from a company called &#8220;Vinome,&#8221; that <a href="https://www.helix.com/shop/vinome-wine-explorer/">claims to select the best wines for you</a> based on your genetics.
Helix&#8217;s parent company, Illumina, has spent the past 15 years selling the machines that researchers worldwide use to sequence human DNA. But its foray into direct-to-consumer testing speaks to consumers&#8217; insatiable demand for genetic tests to tell them anything they may want to know about themselves, and the tests&#8217; potential to make the company a whole genome-load of cash.
By giving consumers the option to continue interacting with their DNA long after that first spit, Helix gives itself a chance to keep making money. Instead of the individual tests offered by 23andMe, consumers can order test after test as Helix partners with new third-party organizations. And after that initial $80 sequencing charge, they only have to pay $29.99 for each subsequent test. Why get new customers when you can get the same ones to keep paying?
Should you be wary of Helix? In general, it presents many of the <a href="https://futurism.com/us-senator-wants-tighter-dna-testing-kit-restrictions/">same risks as other direct-to-consumer tests</a>: that disease risk is often too complex to educate patients about in a one-way online portal; that DNA-based traits are also influenced by other factors; that genetic tests themselves can<a href="https://futurism.com/home-genetic-tests-false-results/"> yield false results</a>; and that the accuracy of tests is determined by what populations they&#8217;ve tested before. (Indeed, the page for the Vinome test states &#8220;Some results may be less accurate for individuals of non-European ancestry.&#8221;)
But Helix does offer unique risks: that the company will take advantage of consumers&#8217; relatively immature knowledge of how DNA works, plus their unceasing curiosity, in their constant pursuit of sweet, sweet cash. These &#8220;second-wave&#8221; testing companies have been popping up more frequently, offering everything from <a href="https://futurism.com/dates-dna-scientifically-questionable/">dating services</a> to <a href="https://www.wired.com/2017/05/these-dna-diet-apps-want-to-rule-your-health/">dieting advice </a>based on genetics. And though Helix <a href="https://cdn.helix.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Principles-for-the-Scientific-Evaluation-of-Partner-Products-July-2017.pdf">says it vets the science</a> behind every third-party app, it also notes in <a href="https://www.helix.com/terms/">its terms of service</a>: &#8220;Partners are responsible for the content of their DNA Product(s), including the scientific basis of each product and the information each product provides,&#8221; and Helix &#8220;is neither responsible nor liable for the content.&#8221;
Ideally, a customer who wants to know whether they&#8217;re at risk for the diseases that Helix is testing for (or even dieting advice based on their genes) would consult a doctor. However, as a genetic counselor <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/helix-takes-clinical-genetic-testing-straight-to-consumers/">pointed out to </a><a href="https://www.wired.com/story/helix-takes-clinical-genetic-testing-straight-to-consumers/">Wired</a>, that can require specialized expertise and can run up thousands of dollars in bills. (Hence, the growth of cheap, mass-sequencing companies.)
Since it seems like these companies are the direction that genetics are going, we can at least hope that companies are rigorously evaluation what patients see, and not trading patient trust for an easy buck.

This "DNA app store" may take advantage of consumers' scant knowledge of how genetics actually works.

DNA marketplace Helix will offer tests for serious diseases. 23andMe is about to get some serious competition.

A company called Helix is offering an "app store" style of genetic testing that may take advantage of consumers' scant knowledge of how DNA works.

DNA Marketplace Helix Will Offer Tests For Serious Diseases. 23andMe Is About to Get Some Serious Competition.

With Helix's business model, they don't have to get new customers if the same ones keep buying new tests. 

For residents of Estonia, genomic tests may soon become as commonplace as blood pressure. <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/2165318-estonia-to-give-genetic-testing-and-advice-to-100000-residents/">The country has launched</a> the first stage of a national state-sponsored genetic testing and information service, which will seek to help residents minimize their risk of illness based on their DNA. If the experiment goes well, it&#8217;s possible that other countries with nationalized healthcare systems will follow suit.
The initiative, which launched on March 20, will start by providing 100,000 of its 1.3 million residents with information on their genetic risk for certain diseases. Genetic information from the project will first be delivered to a family doctor, so that patients will receive counseling about what their results actually mean and how they can better adapt their lifestyle to avoid illness. <a href="https://www.geenivaramu.ee/en/news/estonia-offers-100000-residents-free-genetic-testing-effort-aims-develop-personalized-medicine">According to a press release</a> from the University of Tartu&#8217;s Institute of Genomics, which is hosting the new service, the country plans to eventually offer free genetic testing to all of its residents.
Estonia isn&#8217;t the only nation to offer free or low-cost genetic testing to most of its residents — the National Health Service (NHS) in the United Kingdom also offers them, but often only <a href="https://dnatestingchoice.com/en-us/news/2016-03-06-how-can-you-get-a-free-dna-test-kit">to help doctors diagnose diseases</a>, not to help patients prevent them (and patients in the NHS still have to pay a lab processing fee).
It&#8217;s not surprising that Estonia is among the first to adopt modern trends; the small nation seems to always be on the cutting edge. The country has <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/10/is-a-biobank-system-the-future-of-personalized-medicine/409558/">had a biobank program</a> since the year 2000, established with the goals of accelerating research and making healthcare more personalized. It was the first nation to ever hold <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/kalevleetaru/2017/06/07/how-estonias-e-voting-system-could-be-the-future/">elections via the Internet</a>, the first to <a href="https://medium.com/e-residency-blog/who-are-estonias-e-residents-f8c2ba2bee3d">offer &#8220;e-residency&#8221;</a> for anyone in the world, and among the first to<a href="https://futurism.com/estonia-revealed-three-uses-proposed-national-cryptocurrency/"> propose a national cryptocurrency</a>. Adding genetics to its state-sponsored healthcare program, it could just offer a model for a better way to use genetics for good health.
In many places, getting genetic information alongside health advice is much more difficult. In the United States, genetic testing is usually available through primary care physicians, but <a href="https://www.genome.gov/19016729/coverage-and-reimbursement-of-genetic-tests/">according to the U.S. National Institute of Health</a> (NIH), insurance companies don&#8217;t have good systems in place to evaluate whether genetic tests will be covered. That means that patients may not know whether or not they can afford genetic testing until they actually get it, even if it&#8217;s recommended by their doctors.
<iframe width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dbiv6BAmdF4?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Instead, patients might turn to the cheaper, and arguably easier, method of at-home genetic testing — no driving to an appointment, no standing on a scale; you just spit in a cup, mail it off, and get results, all for a flat fee. Yet these tests don&#8217;t include the expertise of a genetic counselor, who can help a person understand how particular mutations can affect their risk of developing a disease. There are also concerns that companies like 23andMe are <a href="https://futurism.com/us-senator-wants-tighter-dna-testing-kit-restrictions/">using genetic data for research in ways</a> that consumers don&#8217;t understand, and even concerns that some home-testing kits <a href="https://futurism.com/home-genetic-tests-false-results/">could yield results that are false or misleading</a>.
Compare that to the Estonian system. Though some experts have cautioned that free genetic advice could cause unnecessary alarm, having results delivered through a doctor leaves patients much less prone to misinformation and unnecessary freak-outs than if they tried to interpret those results themselves.
Additionally, thanks to the 1999 Estonian Human Genes Research Act, all genetic data belongs to the donor that submitted it; Estonians can choose what studies to participate in, and will soon be able to <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/10/is-a-biobank-system-the-future-of-personalized-medicine/409558/">check an easy-to-use online portal</a> to see which research studies have actually used their data.
Genetic testing is <a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/s/610233/2017-was-the-year-consumer-dna-testing-blew-up/">more popular than ever</a>, and it makes sense that people want to decode their DNA to make their lives better, not just to learn about their lineage. Other countries, from <a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/s/536096/genome-study-predicts-dna-of-the-whole-of-iceland/">Iceland</a> to the <a href="https://gizmodo.com/dubai-plans-to-dna-test-all-3-million-of-its-residents-1823393276">United Arab Emirates</a>, have plans to sequence the DNA of large segments of the population with the goal of making citizens&#8217; lives better. These plans likely won&#8217;t be perfect at first. But other nations looking to implement their own systems might build off those, and citizens will be the ones to benefit.

The country already has nationalized healthcare. Soon all citizens will get free health advice based on their genetics, too.

Estonia to offer free genetic testing, and other nations may follow

Genetic research, pipette and DNA samples on DNA autoradiogram illustrating research into life sciences and genetic modification

The nation of Estonia is establishing a program that provides both free genetic testing and health advice to all citizens based on their results.

Estonia To Offer Free Genetic Testing, And Other Nations May Follow

100,000 Estonians are participating in the first run of the new system. 

Home genetic tests like 23andMe have grown more popular, and so too have stories of people surprised by their results. Sometimes they&#8217;re whimsical, like the German family that <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84LnTrQ2us8">discovered they&#8217;re actually Scottish</a>; other times they call whole identities into question, like the man who discovered <a href="https://tonic.vice.com/en_us/article/gve83w/when-an-ancestry-test-tells-you-your-dad-isnt-your-dad">his father had another son</a> he didn&#8217;t know about, which led his parents to divorce.
But a new study suggests that some of those &#8220;surprises&#8221; might just be mistakes.
Ambry Genetics, a company that interprets data from consumer DNA tests, examined the raw data from 49 patients that had already received results from at-home tests. Its re-analysis, <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/gim201838">recently published in the journal Nature</a>, found that 40 percent of the variants reported to patients were not actually present at all.
Particularly cringe-worthy, <a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/the-download/610688/up-to-40-of-results-from-consumer-dna-tests-might-be-bogus/">MIT Technology Review reports</a> that many of the false-positive calls were related to genes that are related to an increased cancer risk — meaning that tests could have given families a big scare for no reason. And this high error rate is particularly concerning given that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration just approved 23andMe to <a href="https://futurism.com/23andme-sell-genetic-tests-cancer-risk/">sell genetic tests for cancer risk</a>.
Sophisticated technology has made genetic testing more accessible than ever, giving us another way to sate our desire to know more about ourselves. Whether it&#8217;s our risk of developing Alzheimer&#8217;s or confirming a family legend about Native American relatives — or even our supposed <a href="https://futurism.com/dates-dna-scientifically-questionable/">&#8220;genetic compatibility&#8221; with a potential date</a> — we&#8217;ve come to believe that genetics will tell us everything we might want to know.
<iframe width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/endTjMd1CW4?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Yet these mistakes highlight what scientists and genetic counselors have <a href="http://aboutgeneticcounselors.com/Genetic-Testing/What-is-At-Home-Genetic-Testing">warned the public about for years</a>: that home genetic tests should be interpreted with the help of an expert, particularly when it comes to disease risk. Because of the complex interplay that happens between genetics, environment lifestyle, and health, genetic risk is not a definite.
The same is true of consumer genetic tests that interpret ancestry — they&#8217;re not as straightforward as companies assert. As <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/01/22/578293890/my-grandmother-was-italian-why-arent-my-genes-italian">NPR&#8217;s Gisele Grayson recently discovered</a> of her own genes, the process of genetic recombination (when your embryo is formed from sperm and egg) means that you might have a genomic makeup that&#8217;s quite different from your parents or siblings.
At-home genetic testing companies also base their information on that of all of the people they&#8217;ve already tested, meaning that their data on under-tested populations (that&#8217;s <a href="https://qz.com/765879/23andme-has-a-race-problem-when-it-comes-to-ancestry-reports-for-non-whites/">generally people of color</a>) could be flawed; &#8220;the smaller the percentage of a population within a continent that is in the database, the less certain [genetic analyses] are,&#8221; Grayson wrote.
If all of this really squashes your hope of using genetics to find out &#8220;who you are,&#8221; it might be useful to remember that human beings are a closely related species as it is. Mathematics and genetic research alike has found that every human currently alive <a href="https://phys.org/news/2013-08-dna-earth.html">shares a common ancestor</a> as recently as 3,400 years ago.
Yes, genetic tests are, disappointingly, imperfect. But don&#8217;t worry, in the long-run of human history, your genetic &#8220;ancestry&#8221; doesn&#8217;t mean all that much anyway.

40 percent of the tests researchers re-analyzed had given consumers the wrong information.

Home genetics tests could be giving you false results

A recent examination of raw genetic testing data found that at-home genetic tests were delivering false positives to patients in 40 percent of cases.

Home Genetic Tests Could Be Giving You False Results

If you're looking to at-home genetic testing to discover "who you are," you may be destined for disappointment.

If you&#8217;ve nearly given up hope on finding that special someone, you might be intrigued by the dating site du jour. <a href="https://www.pheramor.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pheramor</a>, a startup based in Houston, Texas, says it can use your DNA to find you a perfect match. For just $19.99, plus a membership fee of $10 per month, the company uses information it gathers from DNA swabbed from your cheek — sent by mail, 23andMe-style — plus personality traits gleaned from your social media profile, to identify people in your area with whom you&#8217;re compatible.
The problem: there&#8217;s very little science that says genetics has anything to do with attraction or compatibility. Complicating dating with DNA could destroy long-standing relationships, or quash them before they start. It could give people genetic information they can&#8217;t properly interpret.
<h2>Passing the Sniff Test</h2>
Pheramor bases its matchmaking strategy on the concept that human attraction can be decoded through pheromones, those mystical scented molecules that animals use to drive each other wild. Before we had apps to tell us who to date, Pheramor suggests that humans (like many animals) would sniff out a potential mate based on how different their DNA is. On its website, Pheramor explains that its genetic matches are based on the principle that &#8220;the more differentiated the DNA between two individuals, the more likely they are to be attracted to one another.&#8221;
<figure id="attachment_125677" style="width: 1024px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="wp-image-125677 size-full" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2018/03/pheramour-app.png" alt="Image Credit: Pheramor" width="1024" height="596" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Image Credit: Pheramor</figcaption></figure>
The problem is that scientists have never found evidence for a human pheromone, or any solid link between our genetic code and our romantic interests. A <a href="http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/282/1804/20142994">2015 review of all research</a> on human pheromones came up empty, while research on whether humans actually tend to choose mates with highly different DNA <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosgenetics/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgen.1000184" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has so far</a> yielded <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosgenetics/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgen.1000925" target="_blank" rel="noopener">inconclusive results</a>.
“Pheromones have really caught the public imagination, particularly in association with sex or desire,” Tristan Wyatt, an Oxford University zoologist who authored the 2015 review, <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/with-this-dna-dating-app-you-swab-then-swipe-for-love/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told Wired</a>. “But the bottom line is that, for the present, it’s still true to say that no human pheromone has ever been robustly demonstrated, and certainly not chemically identified.”
As for the shaky science on DNA differences between mates, Wyatt added: “You’d expect things to be more clear-cut if this really was a dominant way people choose partners.&#8221;
Pheramor doesn&#8217;t reveal any specific genetic data about a person&#8217;s match partner beyond their percentage of &#8220;compatibility.&#8221; But that doesn&#8217;t mean that other companies might not one day offer greater detail in their analysis; for example, mail-in genetic testing company 23andMe is <a href="https://futurism.com/23andme-can-now-tell-you-if-your-dna-puts-you-at-a-higher-risk-for-diseases/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">already offering disease risk tests</a> for 10 different conditions, most <a href="https://futurism.com/23andme-sell-genetic-tests-cancer-risk/">recently for cancer risk</a>.
However, in the wrong hands, this sort of information could potentially do more harm than good.
<h2>DNA Dangers</h2>
Most people assume that DNA equals destiny, that a person&#8217;s genome can reveal everything we need to know about a person. In reality, though, genetics are just one of several factors, including lifestyle, environment, and other health conditions, that <a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-what-is-genetic-risk-25969">play a role in conveying risk</a> for certain conditions. Yet humans are notoriously terrible at understanding how much that interplay actually puts them at risk of developing a disease. That&#8217;s the whole reason there&#8217;s an entire profession — genetic counseling — devoted to helping people understand their genetic risk.
Now imagine placing that information into people&#8217;s hands with basically no context, and on a dating app. Knowing a partner&#8217;s genetic risk could deter people from making meaningful connections, or break up an existing partnership, for baseless reasons. (There&#8217;s already a company, Instant Chemistry, that provides couples with genetic &#8220;relationship compatibility&#8221; tests to assess traits like &#8220;biocompatibility, neurocompatibility, and psychological compatibility.&#8221; Those qualities have a questionable genetic link, but also, what exactly does the dinner table conversation look like if you get a low compatibility score with, say, your spouse of 20 years?)
Such services could even theoretically invite discrimination by allowing matchmaking participants to screen partners for &#8220;undesirable&#8221; traits, which begins to sound uncomfortably <a href="https://futurism.com/black-mirror-hang-the-dj/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">like dystopian eugenics</a>.
Advocacy organizations have argued that people <a href="https://www.aclu.org/cases/our-genes-our-data-patients-right-access-their-own-genetic-information" target="_blank" rel="noopener">should have access to</a>, and autonomy over, their own genetic data, and there are certainly strong reasons for this to happen. But adding the complexity of genetics into the whirling, confusing world of dating and love seems like a recipe for trouble, as well as lots of needlessly missed connections. It&#8217;s already hard enough to find the right person <a href="https://futurism.com/heres-how-online-dating-has-transformed-the-fabric-of-society-itself/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in a dating environment increasingly</a> dominated by swiping; do we really need to add swabbing to the mix?

First of all, there's no proof that human pheromones are even real.

Finding dates via DNA is scientifically questionable — and overall a bad idea

Future Society

A new app promises to help you find potential mates with compatible DNA. Yet there's little evidence DNA has anything to do with compatibility.

Finding Dates via DNA Is Scientifically Questionable — and Overall a Bad Idea

For those looking for that special someone, a new dating app replaces swiping with swabbing.

<h2>Detecting Cancer</h2>
Genomics and biotech company 23andMe now has <a href="https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm599560.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)</a> to sell consumers a DNA kit that tests for <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/health-traits/major-milestone-consumer-health-empowerment/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cancer risk</a>. This is the first time the FDA has authorized a direct-to-consumer genetic test to determine cancer risk.
Back in 2013, the <a href="https://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementActions/WarningLetters/2013/ucm376296.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FDA ordered</a> 23andMe to stop selling their flagship product: a &#8220;Personal Genome Service&#8221; kit. The agency thought the results of the at-home test might not be accurate. False positives could encourage consumers to seek out unnecessary medical treatment, while false negatives could lead them to believe they were free from risk when they weren&#8217;t.
After reviewing data and research from 23andMe, the FDA is now convinced that the company&#8217;s cancer test is accurate enough to receive its stamp of approval.
<iframe width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Enn3BHE3v4s?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Researchers know of more than 1,000 BRCA breast cancer genetic mutations. However, 23andMe&#8217;s new test will analyze users&#8217; DNA on the hunt for just three BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations. These mutations are most common in people of Ashkenazi Jewish descent, but extremely rare in the rest of the population.
Extensive research supports a link between these mutations and breast, ovarian, and prostate cancer, so they serve as a solid starting point for 23andMe. The company will likely branch out to other mutations with future tests.
&#8220;Traditionally, you only would get tested for BRCA if you have a family history of cancer,&#8221; Shirley Wu, 23andMe&#8217;s director of product science, <a href="https://gizmodo.com/23andme-gets-fda-green-light-to-sell-first-consumer-dna-1823550398" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told Gizmodo</a>. &#8220;We are providing a test people at risk that otherwise would have been missed. This is a giant step forward for consumers in giving them direct access.&#8221;
<h2>False Sense of Security</h2>
Testing for just three mutations does come with its problems. A person might take 23andMe&#8217;s test, get a negative reading, and assume they are risk-free. However, as previously mentioned, we know of more than 1,000 BRCA mutations, and this test only rules out three.
&#8220;Those tested can get the false illusion that they are not carriers, when in fact they may have other of hundreds of known functional mutations. The new offering by 23andMe is better than nothing, but we need to (and can) do far better,&#8221; Eric Topol, a geneticist at the Scripps Institute, told Gizmodo.
<iframe width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9Yj37PUN_VU?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Other <a href="https://futurism.com/at-home-medical-tests/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">at-home tests</a>, such as those from genetics company <a href="https://www.color.com/product/color-genetic-tests" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Color,</a> are far more comprehensive, but a physician must order them. We still don&#8217;t have an FDA-approved, comprehensive test that consumers can purchase directly.
Still, 23andMe&#8217;s new testing kit could serve to show the potential benefits and risks of at-home testing, and it may serve as an important stepping stone on the path to comprehensive tests to determine a person&#8217;s risk of developing cancer and other health conditions.

It can’t screen for all risk factors, but it’s a start.

23andMe cleared to sell genetic tests for cancer risk

Genetic Research, A human sample in a multi well plate ready for genetic analysis with a DNA sequence in the background

The FDA just approved 23andMe's at-home DNA testing kit designed to help determine a person's risk of developing breast, ovarian, or prostate cancer.

23andMe Cleared to Sell Genetic Tests for Cancer Risk

It’s the first kit of its kind to receive FDA approval.

The <a href="https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/primer/testing/directtoconsumer">at-home genetic testing</a> boom of the last couple decades has provided us with remarkable insight into who we are, where we come from, and what the future holds for our health. It&#8217;s also provided science with invaluable data — and a lot of it.
Millions of people all over the world are swabbing the insides of their cheeks in their living rooms in hopes of improving their understanding of their familial health. Armed with the genetic profiles of these voluntary test subjects, researchers are beginning to glean a more nuanced understanding of conditions that have long defied medical insight, not to mention discovering new ones.
<iframe width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_Dy6UaJZuDo?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Researchers are also using that data to refine — or develop entirely new — treatments for diseases that science had since proclaimed untreatable. From there, the prospect of curing incurable conditions seems closer than its ever been.
The more such &#8220;direct-to-consumer&#8221; genetic testing becomes <a href="https://futurism.com/genetic-privacy-hacking/">accessible to the general public</a> (that is, the tests become more affordable and easy to use) the more data researchers will have to work with. With all that data is sure to come additional investment. With that investment is sure to come rapid progress towards combatting diseases — not just in what the tests can uncover, but when.
<h2>Disease Report Cards</h2>
We are closing in on an era when newborns could be sent home with more than a hospital blanket and a knitted cap: Parents could leave with a cost-effective and accurate genetic profile of their child. Amit Khera, a cardiologist and researcher at the Broad Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts calls this a polygenic score, or more colloquially, a genetic report card of sorts.
“Where I see this going is that at a young age you’ll basically get a report card,” Khera <a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/s/610251/forecasts-of-genetic-fate-just-got-a-lot-more-accurate/?utm_source=newsletters&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=2018-02-26&amp;utm_campaign=the_download">told the MIT Technology Review</a>. “And it will say for these 10 diseases, here’s your score. You are in the 90th percentile for heart disease, 50th for breast cancer, and the lowest 10 percent for diabetes.”
Just imagine: A roadmap of risk for your child&#8217;s health. Not only for the next few months, or the next few years — but the child&#8217;s entire life.
As we uncover more links between our selves and our genes — everything from <a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-reports-list/">earwax consistency</a> to personality quirks to taste aversions — we may be able to predict a lot more about a child than just their lifetime risk of heart disease.
Genetic risk for a number of conditions can be mitigated by lifestyle, environment, and other factors over which we can exert some control. While the risk of <a href="https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/type-2-diabetes">a condition like Type II diabetes</a> is certainly modifiable, we&#8217;re learning (as we are with many other diseases) that there are more than one or two genes we have to keep an eye on. The genetic culprits behind certain diseases number not in the dozens, but the hundreds.
<h2>Worth the Risk?</h2>
Humans have thousands of genes in varying positions in our genome. When it comes to assessing risk, the presence of genes we know are involved in certain conditions is balanced against the others — usually in percentages — and the risk is reported as an average. As more genes are identified as <a href="https://futurism.com/at-home-medical-tests/?src=featured">being linked to certain conditions</a>, these predictions will become more accurate.
Improving risk assessments would matter not just for infants at birth (if not for fetuses <a href="https://futurism.com/fetal-genetic-test-disease-womb/">when they&#8217;re still in the womb</a>) — but the rest of us, too, who may be more at-risk for a condition like heart disease than we realized.
The question, then, becomes what, if anything, do we do with our knowledge of those disease predictions? What should medical professionals do with that information? If the risk is something that can be mitigated by changing one&#8217;s diet, starting a medication, quitting smoking, or even wearing a fitness tracker, the information would be actionable. If the condition is inevitable, then is being able to forecast one&#8217;s future medical hardships a blessing or a curse?
This debate is particular important in the realm of predicting neurological diseases like Alzheimer&#8217;s. If a genetic test indicates someone is likely to develop Alzheimer&#8217;s — and even goes so far as to give that person an idea of when they will begin to develop symptoms — it could give them time to prepare. How would the timing of that information impact how a person lived their life?
If an adult was told they would develop the condition within the next decade, they would probably be grateful to have the time to make arrangements with their families and caregivers about certain wants and needs. But what if someone learned that information at age 25? At 15? Or if people had to live their entire lives with the knowledge of their inevitable cognitive decline because they were assigned an &#8220;Alzheimer&#8217;s score&#8221; the day they were born?
These questions will largely be informed by the rate at which effective treatments are developed for the diseases that genetic tests are screening for.
It may be that, by the time we receive a &#8220;genetic report card&#8221; in childhood, the options for treating (if not reversing) age-related diseases may mean our risk score hardly troubles us at all. But between now and that time, there will be a great deal of uncertainty — thanks to our knowledge of our health fates outpacing our ability to combat those fates.

Parents could soon have a quick, accurate genetic profile of their newborn; a roadmap of risk for their child’s health.

"Genetic report cards" will be the future of predicting disease risk

At-home genetic testing is becoming more widely available, and the disease data is piling up. But would knowing our disease risk from birth actually help?

/Genetic Testing

Come On In

This DNA Testing Company Gave Its Data to the FBI

Brands We Love

Four Genetic Tests That Will Unlock Your DNA While Respecting Your Privacy

Health & Medicine

Spotify Will Make a Playlist Based on Your DNA

Health & Medicine

Think Deleting Your Facebook Profile Is Hard? Try Deleting Your Genomic Data.

Health & Medicine

DNA Marketplace Helix Will Offer Tests For Serious Diseases. 23andMe Is About to Get Some Serious Competition.

Health & Medicine

Estonia To Offer Free Genetic Testing, And Other Nations May Follow

Health & Medicine

Home Genetic Tests Could Be Giving You False Results

Future Society

Finding Dates via DNA Is Scientifically Questionable — and Overall a Bad Idea

Health & Medicine

23andMe Cleared to Sell Genetic Tests for Cancer Risk

Health & Medicine

“Genetic Report Cards” Will Be the Future of Predicting Disease Risk

Load More