Genetic Future

About Genetic Future

In around five years, a complete genome sequence will be readily affordable for most citizens of wealthy industrialised nations - even those of us on a researcher's salary. At the same time we will have access to vast amounts of data about the effects of individual genetic variants on our future health. Storing, processing and using genetic data to make effective health decisions will become an immense challenge both to healthcare providers and to individual consumers.

The revolution has already begun: right now, "personal genomics" companies such as 23andMe, deCODEme and Navigenics offer to scan your genome for hundreds of thousands of common sites of variation, and to generate predictions about your risk of common diseases such as diabetes and arthritis. A horde of smaller companies also offer "boutique" genetic testing services for anything from hair loss to bipolar disorder. Some of these tests are valuable, while for others the scientific evidence is weak and the predictive value vanishingly small - but for the typical consumer it is difficult to discern the genuine offerings from the scams.

Genetic Future's primary mission is to cut through the hype associated with the brave new world of human genomics. I report on the latest findings from genome-wide association studies and large-scale sequencing projects investigating the genetic underpinnings of common disease, putting their results in context and in language that consumers can understand.

I also review the scientific basis and useability of products offered by commercial genetic testing companies. I'll be dissecting the studies used by these companies to justify their expensive tests, and describing in plain language how useful such tests are likely to be to consumers.

About Me

I'm an Australian researcher (now based in the UK) interested in the evolutionary origins of the genetic variants that underlie normal variation and common disease risk in modern humans.

I also have a long-standing personal fascination with the consumer genetic testing industry, and particularly in the shiny new field of personal genomics. When the $1000 genome sequence arrives, I'll be buying one - and I want to know what to do with it once I have it.

My older articles on human genetics and personal genomics are archived at the old Genetic Future site.