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23andMe UK

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Re: 23andMe UK

#61
post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Of course, they're just calling SNPs and using published GWAS studies to estimate disease risk. You can get your "raw genome" text file from 23andMe and convert to e.g. VCF format for use in a bioinformatics tool like the variant effect predictor. Besides, really the most interesting health-related alleles are the simplest: ApoE, BRCA1 — no complicated algo is needed to interpret those associations.

Is there an easy way (or introductory guide) for someone not familiar with bioinformatics tools?

I've written a free/libre open source java client for the 23andMe API here

https://github.com/heuermh/personal-genome-client

Let me know if you would like any help with the analysis.

Re: 23andMe UK

#62

Has anyone submitted something other than a human sample? I have to wonder if anyone has submitted a bovine or dog sample as a joke.

They aren't actually sequencing the whole DNA, they are just searching it for SNPs (single-nucleotide polymorphisms) that have previously been discovered in the human genome. For example if they know there is sequence such as AAAC[CG]CTTA in the genome ([CG] being either C or G) they will check which of AAACCCTTA and AAACGCTTA they can find.

So as much as i hate to give such a boring answer, this would probably just result in them not being able to use the sample.

Re: 23andMe UK

#63

I'm interested in doing this. Can someone who has already done it give me an idea of the kind of things I might discover which I can actually act upon? Although it would be interesting paying £125 for a list of things that might happen isn't very appealing unless I can work to mitigate them or use the advice to improve my life in some way. Considering the privacy implications the benefit needs to be pretty big.

https://www.23andme.com/en-gb/health/reports/

For each disease, they will tell you what the average risk of developing it is, and then they will tell you what they think YOUR risk, based on your DNA.

For example, average woman will develop breast cancer, say 3%, but you might be at elevated risk, say 8% because you have the BRCA1 mutation.

As far as changed behavior, for most cases you're unlikely to do much, except perhaps go to the doctor a bit earlier to get a mammogram.

[Apologies for using female examples, if that's not your gender.]

Re: 23andMe UK

#64
post #25
post #6

I'm curious, have companies like this ever been subpoenaed for their data as part of a fishing expedition to catch a criminal or find the father of a child for child support, etc? To example, there's been a few examples where they found someone through relative('s) DNA for murders in the past, but DNA was voluntarily given.

If one gives their DNA voluntarily (for a particular case) and they are cleared of any wrong doing, is their DNA information still kept on file by law enforcement?

England has an extensive DNA database (largest in the world) and it's hard to get taken off it, even if you voluntarily give your DNA. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7532856.stm

> Innocent people who volunteer to give a DNA sample during a police inquiry, for instance to help narrow a police search in a major murder investigation, also have their details kept on record.

Most people don't volunteer their DNA; it's taken off them when they're arrested, and it's kept even if they're not convicted. It's even kept if they're released without charge, although there are time limits for that after a 2008 case. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk/7764069.stm

Re: 23andMe UK

#65

I'm interested in doing this. Can someone who has already done it give me an idea of the kind of things I might discover which I can actually act upon? Although it would be interesting paying £125 for a list of things that might happen isn't very appealing unless I can work to mitigate them or use the advice to improve my life in some way. Considering the privacy implications the benefit needs to be pretty big.

What lifestyle changes would you make, and why can't you make those without a genetic test?

Re: 23andMe UK

#66
post #46
post #29

A cautionary tale... I bought an Ancestry(.com) DNA test a number of years ago. The product had the advantage that it was integrated in to their genealogical research platform (a subscription service). When you found a match in the database you could click straight through to that members family tree .... then they shut down the "old" platform entirely, gave me X days to download my data, and told me to get lost. Vis…

I know this is a little off topic, but did you really spent $160 a year to find strangers with whom you share lineage? What was the draw?

It's not about DNA. DNA was just a means of finding people who know may know more about your family history, perhaps stories or artefacts passed down. Genealogy is more a study of history and how you came to be than anything else. It's a unique puzzle that only you have, and only you will ever have any interest to solve.

Re: 23andMe UK

#67
post #29

A cautionary tale... I bought an Ancestry(.com) DNA test a number of years ago. The product had the advantage that it was integrated in to their genealogical research platform (a subscription service). When you found a match in the database you could click straight through to that members family tree .... then they shut down the "old" platform entirely, gave me X days to download my data, and told me to get lost. Vis…

Gimmicky crap like your health? huh. I care about more health --- a bit at least. I don't find it gimmicky.

It's gimmicky because we understand so little about how these genetic risk factors actually work for all but a handful of diseases. It's nice to be part of the experiment though.

Re: 23andMe UK

#68

I'm interested in doing this. Can someone who has already done it give me an idea of the kind of things I might discover which I can actually act upon? Although it would be interesting paying £125 for a list of things that might happen isn't very appealing unless I can work to mitigate them or use the advice to improve my life in some way. Considering the privacy implications the benefit needs to be pretty big.

https://www.23andme.com/en-gb/health/reports/ For each disease, they will tell you what the average risk of developing it is, and then they will tell you what they think YOUR risk, based on your DNA. For example, average woman will develop breast cancer, say 3%, but you might be at elevated risk, say 8% because you have the BRCA1 mutation. As far as changed behavior, for most cases you're unlikely to do much, except…

Definitely interesting. I just need to figure out whether the benefits of knowing those things and paying attention to catch them early is worth the cost of potentially constantly stressing out and over reacting.

Re: 23andMe UK

#69
post #55
post #29

A cautionary tale... I bought an Ancestry(.com) DNA test a number of years ago. The product had the advantage that it was integrated in to their genealogical research platform (a subscription service). When you found a match in the database you could click straight through to that members family tree .... then they shut down the "old" platform entirely, gave me X days to download my data, and told me to get lost. Vis…

Off topic but have you found any services that are good for tracing one's lineage? I would pay a considerable amount, probably capped at 10k, for a service that was able to provide me with an accurate, detailed and thorough description of my personal lineage...but I can't seem to find any services that offer it.

I ordered from BritainsDNA for the lineage. I'm expecting the results this month. It was 50% off in a Vouchercloud deal, £74.

Re: 23andMe UK

#70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> You can get your "raw genome" text file from 23andMe Well, not your full genome. You can get the raw SNPs that 23andMe test for, and if you're in their pilot program that sequences the exome (which is a superset of the SNPs but a subset of the full genome) then you can presumably get the raw data on that.

That's their terminology I believe (hence quotes). However, for fun you can have a go at imputing a full genome from these SNPs (e.g. http://genomesunzipped.org/2013/03/learning-more-from-your-2... ). SNPs aren't necessarily exonic either so exome-seq isn't a superset of SNPs (I am a bioinformatics PhD student so while this isn't precisely my day job I'm not speaking from a position of ignorance).

Thanks for the correction.
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