Now on ScienceBlogs: HeartlandGate: Anti-Science Institute's Insider Reveals Secrets
Commentary on human genetics and evolution, direct-to-consumer genetic testing, and the personal genomics industry.
Daniel MacArthur
I write about the genetic and evolutionary basis of human variation, and the companies trying to sell you information about your genome.
Daniel also blogs about personal genomics at Genomes Unzipped.
Subscribe via RSS.
Follow me on Twitter.
July 30, 2010
Category: personal genomics
A recap of useful and interesting links from the increasingly chaotic world of personal genomics, with an emphasis on the current regulatory turmoil in the US.
Posted by Daniel MacArthur at 9:00 AM • 5 Comments •
July 29, 2010
Category: commercial genetic testing
Investigations launched by the FDA and US Congress have potentially set the stage for a large-scale regulatory crackdown on the embryonic direct-to-consumer genetic testing industry. Such a move would be premature, and would do more harm than good to consumers. The industry needs to change, but a more careful, measured approach based on increasing the transparency of genetic tests is the best way forward.
Posted by Daniel MacArthur at 9:30 AM • 9 Comments •
July 22, 2010
Category: FDA
The news for the embryonic personal genomics industry keeps getting worse: today's Congress hearing was a brutal evisceration, aided by a new report on a sting operation aimed at genetic testing companies. As the regulators close in, what does the future hold for those of us seeking to explore our own genetic information?
Posted by Daniel MacArthur at 6:00 PM • 14 Comments •
July 21, 2010
Category: FDA
An article in the Washington Post by reporter Rob Stein includes several "negative experiences" from personal genomics customers. The fact that so few such experiences could be found tells us something about the general satisfaction of customers with their personal genomic data - and a blogger claims that even these anecdotes have been exaggerated in the article for dramatic effect.
Posted by Daniel MacArthur at 7:50 AM • 19 Comments •
July 19, 2010
Category: genome-wide association studies
Every issue of Nature Genetics is packed full of them, and they're the basis for the risk predictions offered by every personal genomics company - but how do you make sense of a genome-wide association study? How can you tell...
Posted by Daniel MacArthur at 12:30 PM • •
July 13, 2010
Category: genomes unzipped
The first ever post on the new group blog I announced yesterday, Genomes Unzipped, is now live: it's Luke Jostins of Genetic Inference talking about the importance of sequencing for the future of personal genomics. Here's a taste:There is a...
Posted by Daniel MacArthur at 10:30 AM • 2 Comments •
July 12, 2010
Category: genomes unzipped
I've started a new group blog about personal genomics, Genomes Unzipped, with a group of fellow scientists and like-minded bloggers.
Posted by Daniel MacArthur at 9:45 AM • •
I've just been forwarded an email that was originally sent to the National Society of Genetic Counsellors email list on behalf of a reporter with the Washington Post:Dear NSGC Members, Washington Post reporter Rob Stein has interviewed NSGC President Liz...
Posted by Daniel MacArthur at 7:15 AM • 2 Comments •
July 7, 2010
Category: genome-wide association studies
As an addendum to my previous post on the controversial "longevity genes" study, you should go and check this out. It's a post on the blog of personal genomics company 23andMe, and it's a pretty impressive piece of scientific dissection of...
Posted by Daniel MacArthur at 9:30 PM • 6 Comments •
Category: genome-wide association studies
A recent paper in Science reported finding a strong genetic signature associated with exceptional longevity. However, the key findings of the paper already seem to be unravelling, with a series of prominent geneticists publicly criticising the study for major methodological flaws.
Posted by Daniel MacArthur at 8:30 PM • 16 Comments •
Orac 02.14.2012
Tim Lambert 02.01.2012
Jason Rosenhouse 02.12.2012
Orac 01.26.2012
ERV 11.26.2011
