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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.
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August 20, 2010
Category: FDA
The recent Government Accountability Office report into the direct-to-consumer genetic testing industry certainly made a splash: it took centre stage at a Congressional hearing on the industry, and garnered media headlines about "bogus" results being generated by testing companies.As I...
Posted by Daniel MacArthur at 9:45 AM • •
August 17, 2010
Category: next-generation sequencing
In yet another twist in the unfolding competition for the emerging whole-genome sequencing market, promising new sequencing company Ion Torrent has been purchased by Life Technologies for $375 million. The stage is now set for a truly impressive battle between four major players over the next twelve months.
Posted by Daniel MacArthur at 5:45 PM • 4 Comments •
August 16, 2010
Category: next-generation sequencing
The long-awaited public stock offer from third-generation sequencing technology company Pacific Biosciences has finally arrived (here's the SEC filing, and coverage from Matthew Herper and GenomeWeb). PacBio has already raised almost US$400 million in venture capital, and aims to increase...
Posted by Daniel MacArthur at 12:15 PM • 5 Comments •
August 9, 2010
Category: FDA
An interview with two FDA officials in Newsweek reveals that the agency doesn't intend to regulate the release of raw genetic data to consumers - a reassuring outcome for genetic hobbyists. The interview also provides crucial context for a scare-mongering quote by official Alberto Gutierrez, apparently referring to the dangers of direct-to-consumer testing: turns out the tests Gutierrez referred to were neither direct-to-consumer nor genetic.
Posted by Daniel MacArthur at 9:30 AM • 6 Comments •
August 5, 2010
Category: direct-to-consumer genetic testing
Two days ago I reported a rumour that the FDA might have convinced genotyping chip provider Illumina to stop providing its products to direct-to-consumer genetic testing companies - a move that would effectively prevent these companies from being able to...
Posted by Daniel MacArthur at 5:30 PM • 1 Comments •
August 4, 2010
Category: personal genomics
Following up on the rumours I posted about yesterday regarding a potential bid by the FDA to choke of direct-to-consumer genetic testing companies' supply of genotyping chips, I received the following statement by email from 23andMe's PR firm: 23andMe is...
Posted by Daniel MacArthur at 6:00 PM • 2 Comments •
Rumours are circulating that the US Food and Drug Administration has negotiated to cut off the supplies of genotyping chips to direct-to-consumer genetics companies. If true, this would put the industry completely at the mercy of whatever changes the regulators demand.
Posted by Daniel MacArthur at 6:00 AM • 35 Comments •
August 2, 2010
The whole idea of actually paying to read mainstream news online is rather alien to me, having grown up immersed in a world of free content readily available via Google News. Indeed, I can't help but see free news as...
Posted by Daniel MacArthur at 8:30 AM • 5 Comments •
