Google searches for your genetic blueprint
May 23rd, 2007 by Lloyd Gofton
Have you heard of 23andMe?
You probably hadn’t before today, so to bring you up to speed, according to the website it’s: ‘a privately held company developing new ways to help you make sense of your own genetic information’ and it’s just scored a $3.9 million investment from none other than Google.
Hang on what exactly do they do? Back to the website: ‘Our goal is to connect you to the 23 paired volumes of your own genetic blueprint (plus your mitochondrial DNA), bringing you personal insight into ancestry, genealogy, and inherited traits.’ Got it?
So what has that go to do with Google? Well after a bit of reading on the subject, there seems to be two theories.
1. Is Google trying to catalogue human genome(s) and make it searchable? That’s surely the final frontier in data…impressive! And apparently not the first time.
Bobbie Johnson’s post on Guardian Unlimited’s technology blog has more.
2. 23andMe was established by Anne Wojcicki, who married Sergey Brin, Google co-founder in the Bahamas earlier this month.
So, is it a case of ingenious data acquisition or a very nice wedding present?
Google said the transaction had been scrutinised and approved by its independent audit committee.
I’ll let you decide.
