Mar 31 2008
SNPwatch gives you the latest news about research linking various traits and conditions to individual genetic variations. These studies are exciting because they offer a glimpse into how genetics may affect our bodies and health; but in most cases, more work is needed before this research can provide information of value to individuals. For that [...]
Mar 28 2008
Genome-wide association studies, which are the source for most of the data 23andMe uses in Gene Journal (now called Health and Traits) entries, are based on the “common disease-common allele model” – the idea that many illnesses, even relatively rare ones, can be caused by combinations of genetic variations that are individually quite common in [...]
Mar 25 2008
It was not very long ago – at least in evolutionary terms – that humans first ventured beyond the continent of their species’ birth. But once people did begin migrating out of Africa about 50,000 years ago to populate the lands we now call the Middle East, Asia, Europe and the Americas, the transformation of [...]
Mar 19 2008
Part of my role as the ‘People Manager’ here at 23andMe is leading recruiting efforts. I take a lot of calls from people who are interested in science careers. While many of those calls are about specific positions, an equal number are from people who just want to know what it’s like to work here.
Most [...]
Mar 19 2008
The latest indication that the medical establishment takes personalized medicine seriously – this week’s Journal of the American Medical Association is a special theme issue dedicated to genetics and genomics.
The journal points to the incredible pace of recent discoveries associating specific genetic markers to various diseases and conditions. It even adds a few new revelations [...]
Mar 17 2008
23andMe co-founders Linda Avey and Anne Wojcicki sat down at NBC’s Today Show on Friday as correspondent Peter Alexander took a look at his genome. Watch the video and learn about the Odds Calculator, ancestry and the genetics of earwax:
Mar 14 2008
Fascinated by genetics? Curious about what the future of science will bring? Looking for a way to celebrate DNA Day on April 25? Here’s a list of museums from around the country with genetics themed exhibits. Drop us a line if there is one you know of one that we’ve missed!
The Health Museum, [...]
Mar 13 2008
Those of you who have delved into our Gene Journal (now called Health and Traits) feature may have noticed that many of the traits only give genetic data “assuming European ethnicity”. Why is that? It certainly isn’t because people with African or Asian ancestry aren’t susceptible to heart attacks or colorectal cancer.
The fact of [...]
Mar 07 2008
People who study the spread of humans to the Americas can agree on one thing – the first migrants crossed from Asia by way of a land bridge connecting Siberia and Alaska.
Just about everything else is subject to debate: who the people were, where they originated, when they migrated, how numerous they were and what [...]
Mar 04 2008
This car costs less than a human genome sequence – but not for long.
A story in the weekly science section of today’s New York Times profiles the first customer of Knome, a company started by Harvard University professor (and 23andMe scientific advisory board member) George Church that offers complete genome sequencing for a cool $350,000.
The [...]
