OK I admit it's not quite what the NIH is referring to in their $1,000 genome RFAs (RFA-HG-06-020 (R01), RFA-HG-06-021 (R21) and RFA-HG-06-022 (R21/33)), but it's a nice start, and it's available now.
I just got hold of a press release from a startup called 23andMe. The title is 23andMe Launches Web-Based Service Empowering Individuals to Access and Understand Their Own Genetic Information.
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. -- November 19, 2007 -- 23andMe, Inc., a privately-held personal genetics company, announced today that it has officially launched and has begun offering its services directly to consumers in the United States. 23andMe is helping individuals understand their own genetic information through the latest advances in DNA analysis and web-based interactive tools. The Company's service will enable customers to gain deeper insights into their ancestry and other inherited traits which are marked in an individual's genetic code.
The 23andMe service allows individuals to:
* Search and explore their genomes;
* Learn how the latest research studies relate directly to traits identified in their genome;
* Compare their genomes to family and friends who are also 23andMe participants;
* Discover their genetic roots and find where they sit on the tree of human genetic history; and
* Give individuals the option to actively participate in a new research approach.
Linda Avey, co-founder of 23andMe, said, "Over the past several years, significant advances have been made in the field of genetics. The mission of 23andMe is to take the genetic revolution to a new level by offering a secure, web-based service where individuals can explore, share and better understand their own genetic information."
Anne Wojcicki, co-founder of 23andMe, said, "23andMe is designed to provide our customers with scientifically accurate, high-quality information about their own genetic code in a format that is easy to understand and use. We believe this information provides intriguing insights into an individual's genetics, with the goal of expanding the collective knowledge base by enabling active participation in research."
But wait. It gets better.
The press release goes on to describe their service in summary form, and you can get more detail at their site. However, Wired Magazine's November 17 article about their service offers a more compelling version of the story:
Reading your genomic profile — learning your predispositions for various diseases, odd traits, and a talent or two — is something like going to a phantasmagorical family reunion. First you're introduced to the grandfather who died 23 years before you were born, then you move along for a chat with your parents, who are uncharacteristically willing to talk about their health — Dad's prostate, Mom's digestive tract. Next, you have the odd experience of getting acquainted with future versions of yourself, 10, 20, and 30 years down the road. Finally, you face the prospect of telling your children — in my case, my 8-month-old son — that he, like me, may face an increased genetic risk for glaucoma.
The experience is simultaneously unsettling, illuminating, and empowering. And now it's something anyone can have for about $1,000. This winter marks the birth of a new industry: Companies will take a sample of your DNA, scan it, and tell you about your genetic future, as well as your ancestral past. A much-anticipated Silicon Valley startup called 23andMe offers a thorough tour of your genealogy, tracing your DNA back through the eons.
Sign up members of your family and you can track generations of inheritance for traits like athletic endurance or bitter-taste blindness. The company will also tell you which diseases and conditions are associated with your genes — from colorectal cancer to lactose intolerance — giving you the ability to take preventive action.
A second company, called Navigenics, focuses on matching your genes to current medical research, calculating your genetic risk for a range of diseases.
Will 23andMe succeed? My entrepreneurial sense tells me the answer is Yes. They are clearly on the right track from a strategic perspective: Esther Dyson, the Delphic Oracle of information technology, is a director and investor. Moreover, I think they will have access to enough cash. First, it's a woman-owned company, so they are on the insider track to an SBIR grant.
OK, that's not really a whole lot of money, it will take a while, and it's a long shot, so the principals may have to struggle along on their own dime(s) for a while. Anne Wojcicki, one of the two co-founders, is married to Sergei Brin, co-founder of Google. If they have a joint checking account, 23andMe will be adequately funded for a while to come.
Besides which, think of the synergies. Your genome holds a lot of data, as do repositories of information correlating features of the genome with traits and disorders. Who would be better positioned than Google to offer the first personal genomic search engine?
Another thing for us to give thanks for tomorrow...
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