In spite of concerns about its accuracy and reliability, home DNA testing is set to explode in 2014 and change the way we approach personal healthcare… as well as enquire into where we came from.
Previously best known for its ubiquity in trash TV shows where vying silverbacks and neanderthals quibble over their offspring’s origins and consequent appalling future, DNA testing is set to become part of the mainstream in 2014.
The cost of a DNA test has plummeted in recent years after advances in technology and increased demand. Costs for an ancestry test start at £62; health genetic disposition at £62 and paternity at anything from £88. The tipping point has become mass market.
One UK company has launched dnatestingchoice.com, allegedly a ‘Tripadvisor-style’ comparison site for DNA testing, where potential customers can compare, contrast and buy DNA testing products, as well as read the latest news and content on the subject.
“The internet is full of companies selling more than 900 different DNA tests with no standard pricing structure. We aim to show people what is available and allow people to share their experiences and make informed choices after reviews alongside the very latest information on genetics,” says company founder Craig Macpherson.
The DNA Testing industry received a boost after Angelina Jolie learnt she had a 87% genetic predisposition to breast cancer and subsequently had a full mastectomy. There have been other successes for DNA testing, notably when alleged US White Supremacist and village idiot Craig Cobb found out his ancestors were black and he had substantial African DNA.
A very funny story and one that underlines how stupid racism is… all human DNA is the same and the variation between races accounts for a minute proportion of the DNA in the human genome.
Monty Munford has more than 15 years' experience in mobile, digital media, web and journalism. He is the founder of Mob76, a company that helps tech companies raise money and exit. He speaks regularly at global media events with a focus on Africa, writes a weekly column for The Telegraph, is a regular contributor to The Economist, Wired, Mashable and speaks regularly on the BBC World Service.
