DNA in access

Heard of 23andMe? It’s a a web-based service that helps people to read and understand their DNA. After providing a saliva sample using an at-home kit, they can use their interactive tools to shed new light on distant ancestors, close family and most of all, themselves. It is the first Personal Genome Service out there.

MEDIA ADVISORY: 23andMe™ to Hold Press Meeting at World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland on Wednesday, January 23rd, 2008

Complimentary Personal Genome ServiceTM to be Offered to 50 Press Attendees
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – January 18, 2008 – 23andMe, Inc., a privately-held personal genetics company, announced today that it will be holding a press meeting at this year’s World Economic Forum in Davos:

Date: Wednesday, January 23rd, 2008
Time: 10.00 – 11.00am CET
Venue: Belvedere Hotel (Promenade 89/7270 Davos-Platz), Salon Scaletta, during the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland

Co-Founders Linda Avey and Anne Wojcicki and employees from 23andMe will be available to provide live demonstrations of 23andMe’s Personal Genome Service and field questions from members of the press. Fifty media attendees will be offered complimentary access to the service. Accredited members of the press are welcome to attend.

The Company’s service, which retails for $999 USD, enables individuals to gain deeper insights into their ancestry and other inherited traits.

The 23andMe service allows individuals to:

- Search and explore their genomes;

- Learn how the latest research studies relate directly to 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.

How 23andMe’s services work:

- 23andMe sends individuals a Spit KitTM containing a barcoded tube for saliva collection. Customers then use the enclosed mailing materials to send their samples to 23andMe’s contracted laboratory. The DNA is then extracted and exposed to a microchip-like device to produce each customer’s genetic data.

- Once the analysis has been completed, individuals will be able to use their own private login to access their data via 23andMe’s secure website. Individuals can explore their ancestry, see what genetics research means for them and compare themselves to friends and family members.

- Ultimately, individuals will become part of a community that works together to advance the overall understanding of the human genome.

It’s a bit out of this world for me. But I bet those journalists who get the free package will be thrilled to find out whether or not they are to victims to journalistic ailment such as Alzheimer’s or heart diseases.