What's it like getting your DNA results back from 23andMe

#1

Post by philipkd » Wed, Feb 23, 2011, 4:32 PM UTC

What's it like getting your DNA results back from 23andMe
philosophistry.com

Re: What's it like getting your DNA results back from 23andMe

#2

Post by larrik » Wed, Feb 23, 2011, 5:13 PM UTC

This is posted on the very same day I heard from 23andMe received my and my wife's samples. Spooky.

(I actually bought the kits on DNA day last year, and just haven't gotten around to sending them in until now, so this really is weird for me)

Re: What's it like getting your DNA results back from 23andMe

#3

Post by endtime » Wed, Feb 23, 2011, 5:34 PM UTC

I've done 23andMe as well. If anyone's curious I'm happy to answer questions. Without prompting, I don't have much to add other than that the relative finder doesn't seem to work quite as well as I'd hoped. I do have one distant cousin on 23andMe, and it did find her, but assigned higher confidence/probability/whatever to a few tens of people who mostly seem not to be cousins. This might not be their fault - I imagine a very small fraction of the population is even on 23andMe - but I still haven't found any long-lost cousins yet.

Edit: On reflection, this is probably because I'm an Ashkenazi Jew, and we have a relatively small gene pool and relatively cyclic ancestor graphs (at least when considered undirected). If your ethnic background is broader/less insular then the relative finder will probably work better for you.

Re: What's it like getting your DNA results back from 23andMe

#4

Post by GvS » Wed, Feb 23, 2011, 5:35 PM UTC

Interesting service. Anyone know something similar in Europe?

Re: What's it like getting your DNA results back from 23andMe

#5

Post by acangiano » Wed, Feb 23, 2011, 5:40 PM UTC

endtime wrote: post #3

I've done 23andMe as well. If anyone's curious I'm happy to answer questions. Without prompting, I don't have much to add other than that the relative finder doesn't seem to work quite as well as I'd hoped. I do have one distant cousin on 23andMe, and it did find her, but assigned higher confidence/probability/whatever to a few tens of people who mostly seem not to be cousins. This might not be their fault - I imagin…

I had better luck with my relative finder. I find out I was related to a few people and got in touch with them. One of these cousins is one of the most famous people in America, but I cannot disclose any other information as I respect their desire for privacy.

Overall, the experience has provided me with plenty of infotainment. Well worth the $99 I paid.

Re: What's it like getting your DNA results back from 23andMe

#6

Post by shazow » Wed, Feb 23, 2011, 5:42 PM UTC

GvS wrote: post #4

Interesting service. Anyone know something similar in Europe?

Last I checked, 23andMe shipped to Europe (with additional shipping fees).

Re: What's it like getting your DNA results back from 23andMe

#7

Post by tibbon » Wed, Feb 23, 2011, 5:43 PM UTC

I'm glad I did it, and the results didn't freak me out/scare me or lead to any massive revelations. For the $100 I paid, it was worth it. For the $500 that they normally charge, I felt it was too much.

The stuff about family origin/history was pretty boring for me and just confirmed that I'm as white/boring as they come. Both lines from Europe? You don't say... But for someone who doesn't know that they are 100% European, it could be interesting to see what else is in your background.

Re: What's it like getting your DNA results back from 23andMe

#8

Post by prr » Wed, Feb 23, 2011, 5:49 PM UTC

shazow wrote: post #6

GvS wrote: post #4

Interesting service. Anyone know something similar in Europe?

Last I checked, 23andMe shipped to Europe (with additional shipping fees).

I had mine done last year. You'll also need to factor in the DHL shipping fees for returning your sample (30 Pounds from the UK, over and above whatever they charged for shipping it to you)

Re: What's it like getting your DNA results back from 23andMe

#9

Post by Desireco » Wed, Feb 23, 2011, 5:52 PM UTC

Results are fairly underwhelming, and fairly inaccurate in terms of predictions. I am dissappointed with them honestly and I wouldn't recommend people to do it because it is not worth the money. Maybe in the future when they can predict things and tell you something useful.

To clarify, my wife has a genetic mutation which is fairly important and life threatening and from their report I wouldn't even guess something like that is there. And it is because their reporting is not good.

Re: What's it like getting your DNA results back from 23andMe

#10

Post by ghshephard » Wed, Feb 23, 2011, 6:20 PM UTC

I managed to get one of those $100 23andMe deals, so I bought Christmas presents for my mother, brother, sister in law, niece and nephew (Actually, I bought them wayyyy in advance on DNA Day - couldn't resist a great deal). About 7 weeks later, everybody's profile came online, and the relative finder instantly identified all of us and our probable relationship to each other (it was correct, in all cases). It's interesting that I share more genetic similarity with my brother, than I do with my mother, even excluding the Y chromosome. It took a bit of thinking before my brother came up with the example of identical twins, who would share almost 100% DNA.

As far as cousins - I have about 100 relatives discovered through the relative finder - lots, and lots, and lots of 5th and 4th cousins, and a few 3rd cousins. No second or first cousins yet.

I originally purchased my kit about 4 or 5 years ago for $1000, so the $99 cost is a huge jump in such a short period of time. It's important to note that 23andMe doesn't do a full DNA Scan, but just samples it in important locations known as SNPs. Watching the trends on singularityhub.com, I'm guessing that a full DNA scan will be available to the individual consumer for $1000 in about five or six years.