SNPs for Nothing, Risks for Free
(July 1st, 2009) News from the personal genome front: TruGenetics offers their SNPs for free to the first 10,000 customers. Don't believe it? It's true! Other personal genome companies are also offering new and cheaper services, reports Karin Hollricher.
"The first 10,000 people to register will be able to take advantage of our introductory offer for a FREE genome scan," writes TruGenetics on its website. SNPs for free? We knew it would happen some day, but why is TruGenetics being so generous? Does the company want to get more genomic DNA for searches not yet covered by academic studies? In fact, we don't know anything about TrueGenetics' business model, nor what will happen when customers 10,001 and 10,002 sign up -- their website doesn't reveal too much. However, TruGenetics is part of a trend for all personal genome sellers: offering genomic information so cheap that anybody might afford to buy the service.
Among the other genome companies participating in this price war for personal genomes is Knome, a company in Cambridge (USA) founded by genome research pioneer, George Church. The price for a genome is now down from $350,000 in January 2008 to $99,500. And Illumina, until now only known as a manufacturer of second-generation sequencing machines, has also entered the market for personal genomics. Last week CEO, Jay Flatley, announced at the Consumer Genetics Show in Boston that Illumina provides individual variomes for only $48,000. An informative website,
www.everygenome.com, provides information for consumers, doctors and researchers on how DNA sequencing works but Illumina only offers data without interpretation of genetic disposition for pathologies, etc. To do that, Illumina has teamed up with 23andMe, Navigenics, Decode Genetics and Knome. These direct-to-consumer-companies will analyse the data -- of course, additional fees have to be paid for that service.
By the way: what interpretation? The great majority of SNPs are so weakly predictive that gazing into a crystal ball might be a better choice. Unfazed, TruGenetics says it scans for SNPs from "A like Abdominal Aneurysm to S like Stomach Cancer", a total of over 200 traits and diseases. But what are these SNPs telling their genomes' owners? "... you will have access to genetic information that may lead to an emotional response or trouble you," writes TruGenetics about risks and adverse effects.
Since most genetic tests that claim to identify a person's inherited genetic 'susceptibility' to future illness are inadequate for safeguarding individual, or even public health, we prefer recommending to you: Don't worry, be happy -- and enjoy the summer time!
