How to Get and Protect Your Genetic Data

By Meredith Salisbury Maybe it was the Jolie effect. Or you want to find out if you're carrying a silent genetic mutation that could be passed on to a child. Or perhaps you're just really hoping you can blame your DNA for how awful cilantro tastes. Whatever the reason, you're interested in finding out something about your genome. Now what? Though consumer genetic testing and personal genome sequencing are still nascent fields, every indication suggests that the public will have a virtually insatiable appetite for genetic data. And as scientists get better at establishing links between DNA and diseases or specific traits, that demand will only increase. But are we ready for this data? Sure, massive-scale scientific instruments can churn out DNA information at breakneck pace, but is the rest of the scientific, medical, and social infrastructure in place to analyze, interpret, and protect it? At the moment, the short answer is no. But this is a major focus for the biomedical community right now, and improved solutions are being developed almost daily. At the moment, there are several ways to get your hands on your own genetic data. Services like 23andMe and Ancestry.com offer direct access to basic genealogical information that can be gleaned from your genome. By going through a physician or genetic counselor, you can get targeted clinical results--such as your carrier status for a certain disease or whether you have a genetic variant that makes you more susceptible to cance...
Source: Science - The Huffington Post - Category: Science Source Type: news