Dec 30 2008
Our SNPwatch posts here at The Spittoon are one of our most exciting features. They give our customers the opportunity to connect their genetic data to the newest discoveries, often within just hours of a study’s publication.
Looking ahead to 2009, we can only begin to imagine the exciting discoveries that will be made in [...]
Dec 29 2008
My surname — Holden — has gone through many incarnations since it originated in England nearly 700 years ago. Letters were added, then dropped. Some branches of my family added an extra “u” in the middle, while others changed the pronunciation entirely. Then, when my ancestors arrived in America over 200 years ago, the name [...]
Dec 26 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 [...]
Dec 24 2008
Before genetics came into the picture, researchers interested in the introduction of agriculture to Europe had only the archaeological record to go on — a limited collection of primarily stone and bone artifacts that left much room for interpretation. But as researchers began applying population genetics to the question of how farming spread across Europe, [...]
Dec 23 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 [...]
Dec 22 2008
In the world of genetic anthropology, mitochondrial DNA and the Y-chromosome are the major players. They are regions of our genome scientists use most frequently when tracing both ancient and historical human migrations, and are an important tool for genealogists using DNA to piece together their family trees.
But another part of the human genome has [...]
Dec 19 2008
Since 23andWe debuted in May, we’ve asked our customers about all sorts of things: their hair color, earwax consistency, whether they tend to look on life’s bright side. Sometimes people have been surprised to learn that something like your susceptibility to motion sickness — or even which way the hair swirls on top of your [...]
Dec 19 2008
Rachel is the Manager of Communications at 23andMe, i.e. the company gatekeeper. She handles incoming press inquiries, manages the public relations surrounding the launch of new features and partnerships, and talks to reporters and news producers about everything 23andMe. Imagine C.J. on the West Wing, except shorter and with less politics and more [...]
Dec 18 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 [...]
Dec 17 2008
Every year more than two million Americans take part in clinical trials. Many may not realize when they sign up that there is no requirement for the investigators running the trial to ever tell them the results.
The same goes for many genetic studies. In fact, there is often a specific prohibition against re-contacting [...]
