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Essay Contest Reveals Misconceptions of High School Students in Genetics Content

16 April 2008 – 3:00 am

The American Society of Human Genetics announced a press release out today about a study of student essays submitted as entries in the National DNA Day Essay Contest in 2006 and 2007. The ASHG’s education staff examined 500 of the 2,443 essays and found that 55.6% of the essays contained at least one “obvious” misconception, and 20.2% contained two or more misconceptions.

At first glance I was a little concerned about mining these essays - notably submitted by eager students to win a contest - for this type of information, but then I concluded that the authors of the essays must have assumed that they were being evaluated based on the accuracy of their statements. Additionally, the ASHG took careful steps to preserve anonymity.

The panel concluded that “misconceptions about genetics remain prevalent in U.S. science classrooms”, and included information about using the findings to improve genetics education. I highly recommend reading the entire paper, available for free from the ASHG and Genetics: “Essay Contest Reveals Misconceptions of High School Students in Genetics Content.” From the press release:

“The misconception most frequently identified in the researchers’ analysis of student essays was broadly defined into the category of “genetic technologies” (17.2%), these responses displayed incomplete understanding of the complexity of scientific research, including biotechnology and genetic engineering. Another common theme identified in the analysis revealed that students did not fully understand concepts related to heredity and patterns of inheritance (14%); these essays reflected students’ belief that single genes are the cause of traits and inherited diseases. In actuality, even in cases of simple inheritance, multiple genetic and/or environmental factors often play a role in the expression of a trait or disease.”

The paper includes some interesting examples of misconceptions, such as the following quote from a student’s essay:

‘‘One study showed that chemical dependency skips a generation. This would make the gene for chemical dependency recessive. This means that if a psychiatric geneticist would make a Punnett square for two parents whose parents had chemical dependency, the Punnett square would say that 3 out of 4 of their children would be chemically dependant.’’

The authors of the study respond with: “Chemical dependency is a complex trait that cannot be explained by a simple, monohybrid Punnett square cross.”

Everyone remembers the “big B” “little b” Mendelian crosses of things like eye color in biology class. But in today’s world of genetics, teaching this simplistic view of genetics, especially in high school (which is really just a basic introduction to genetics) might be too confusing. What do you think?

By Blaine Bettinger | Posted in DNA Articles, DNA in the News | Comments (3)

ThinkGenealogy Presents "Are You Smarter than a Grade School Genealogist?"

14 April 2008 – 3:38 pm

ThinkGenealogy introduces episode 1 of “Are You Smarter than a Grade School Genealogist?“: “Match your genealogy knowledge against a grade schooler to determine: Are You Smarter than a Grade School Genealogist? In this episode, Nathan, a 4th grader from Arizona introduces DNA for the genealogist.” The episode is just over 4 minutes long and is a great introduction to genetic genealogy.

By Blaine Bettinger | Posted in DNA Articles | Comments (0)

Genetic Genealogy on TV - Meeting David Wilson

10 April 2008 – 11:17 am

MSNBC will air a documentary tomorrow evening about the journey of 28-year-old African American David Wilson as he discovers his genealogical roots. Wilson uses both traditional genealogical research as well as DNA testing to learn more about his ancestry. Along the way, Wilson meets another David Wilson, a white 62-year-old descendant of the slaveowners who owned the other’s ancestors. From the Meeting David Wilson website:

“Coinciding with the 40th anniversary of the assassination of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., MSNBC will premiere “Meeting David Wilson,” the remarkable and inspiring story of a young man’s reconciliation with his ancestors’ history as slaves. The world premiere of “Meeting David Wilson,” on April 11 at 9 p.m. ET will be hosted by “Today” Correspondent Tiki Barber and followed by a 90-minute live discussion of racial issues in America. The live event will be moderated by “NBC Nightly News” Anchor and Managing Editor Brian Williams and held at Howard University in Washington, D.C.”

The younger David Wilson also undergoes DNA testing in hopes to learn more about his ancestry:

“Curious to learn if they have more than a name in common, David tests his DNA. One of the results of this test identifies his African origins. Once this match is made, the lab provides him with a name and location of an African ethnic group and he travels back to Africa to complete his journey.”

To learn more, there is the official Meeting David Wilson Blog, an article on MSNBC, an interesting downloadable press kit (pdf) with a synopsis and pictures (pictures also available online here), other videos. And finally, here is the YouTube trailer:

HT: The Genealogue, and Megan’s Roots World.

By Blaine Bettinger | Posted in DNA in the News | Comments (2)

A Quiz - Test Your Genetic Genealogy Knowledge

9 April 2008 – 3:00 am

How much do you know about genetic genealogy testing? Take The Genetic Genealogist’s quiz!



By Blaine Bettinger | Posted in DNA for Newbies, Miscellaneous | Comments (16)

Navigenics Open For Business

8 April 2008 – 7:32 am

Navigenics, a genome scanning company, officially launches their genome service today - called the “Navigenics Health Compass”, with a cocktail reception in NYC tonight at 6:00PM. Thomas Goetz of Epidemix writes an article in Wired today about some of the differences between Navigenics and other large-scale genome scanning companies.

The launch is also mentioned in an exclusive interview at Genetics and Health with Navigenics’ medical director, Dr. Michael Nierenberg. This piece is the first article in a seven article series, including the future article 6, which discusses some of my favorite things: “Privacy, insurance, GINA, and ethics.” I’ll be sure to link to that article when it comes out. The launch is also discussed over at ScienceRoll.

For more information:

By Blaine Bettinger | Posted in DNA Companies, DNA in the News | Comments (6)

Genetic Testing Under the Microscope

7 April 2008 – 3:00 am

Genetic Testing Under the Microscope Genetic testing has once again come under the microscope, triggered by an article in the journal Science: “A Case Study of Personalized Medicine.”

In my opinion, adding to the conversation about genetic testing is always a good thing.

That being said, my biggest complaint with many of these articles (especially in the popular media) is that they tend to lump together every test that examines DNA. There are different types of genetic testing with different levels of quality control, interpretation, etc. The results, scientific background, and effects of tests offered by large-scale genome scanning companies, clinical entities, direct-to-consumer companies, and pharmacogenetic companies are not the same. When dealing with a readership that does not have a background in genetics (which is probably 99% of the readership), the media should take extra care to note these differences. Lumping every DNA test together does little to properly educate the public.

Also unclear from almost every article is how genetic genealogy fits into the conversation. Based on what I read online and in the media, I still get the impression that most people are either unaware of genetic genealogy, or fail to understand the (20+ years of) science behind it.

Here is a round-up of the discussion triggered by the article:

P.S. - another pet peeve is that the authors of these studies felt that public health is being threatened and wanted to educate the public, but submitted their article to a closed-access journal. A double-edged sword, I suppose; publish in a high-profile journal to attract attention, or risk less attention from publication in an open-access journal. This work was presumably funded by the Genetics and Public Policy Center, which in turn is funded by “The Pew Charitable Trusts, with research funding from the National Human Genome Research Institute and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.” Thus it would appear that my tax dollars helped fund the work. I wish I could read it without paying $10 for access through Science.

By Blaine Bettinger | Posted in DNA in the News | Comments (7)

The 2010 Census

5 April 2008 – 9:32 am

At 12:01 on April 1, 2082, millions of genealogists around the solar system will be able to instantaneously download every image from the 2010 census into their neural storage chip, and within minutes these images will be linked to the ancestors in their 3D holographic family trees. Almost all of these genealogists will be able to find themselves in these census images and index.

Okay, maybe it’s a little premature to guess about the use of a census that hasn’t even been enumerated yet, but as most genealogists know, census results are the backbone of the genealogical world. Only one census has been released since the advent of the internet. In 2002 the 1930 census was released, and the countdown to the April 2, 2012 release of the 1940 census has already begun.

The 2010 census is only 2 years away. Here is the planned schedule for the 2010 census:

  • March 2010 - Census questionnaires are mailed or delivered to households.
  • April - June 2010 - Census workers visit households that did not mail back a census questionnaire.
  • December 31, 2010 - U.S. population totals are due to the President.

On Thursday, it was announced that the government will not use handheld computers to collect information from Americans who fail to return their census forms (HT: GeneaSofts). Instead, census takers will use traditional pen and paper forms. It is estimated that this will increase the cost of the entire census to over $14 billion. That’s almost $47 per person!

Interestingly, however, the Census Bureau will still use GPS-enabled handheld computers to verify household locations in 2009, according to testimony from U.S. Secretary of Commerce Carlos M. Gutierrez on April 3rd. Wouldn’t it be great to have GPS coordinates associated with each census return?

Here is more information:

Genealogy law lesson of the day:

Why are census records held for 72 years (other than the obvious public policy reasons)? Because of 36 C.F.R. §1256.4 (a)(3), which states the following:

“NARA will not grant access to restricted census and survey records of the Bureau of the Census less than 72 years old containing data identifying individuals enumerated in population censuses in accordance with 44 U.S.C. 2108(b).”

44 U.S.C. 2108(b) simply states that agreements between the Census Bureau and the National Archives, such as the 72-year agreement, become law. As to why it is 72 years and not 10 or 100 years, supposedly 72 was chosen because it was the average lifespan of Americans when the agreement was made.

By Blaine Bettinger | Posted in Genealogy, Miscellaneous | Comments (4)

Abstract From the New Y-Chromosome Haplogroup Tree Article

2 April 2008 – 11:05 am

Here is the abstract of today’s Y-chromosome haplogroup tree paper in Genome Research, I’m still working to get a copy of the actual paper (unfortunately, it’s not open access at this time):

Markers on the non-recombining portion of the human Y chromosome continue to have applications in many fields including evolutionary biology, forensics, medical genetics, and genealogical reconstruction. In 2002, the Y Chromosome Consortium published a single parsimony tree showing the relationships among 153 haplogroups based on 243 binary markers and devised a standardized nomenclature system to name lineages nested within this tree. Here we present an extensively revised Y chromosome tree containing 311 distinct haplogroups, including two new major haplogroups (S and T), and incorporating approximately 600 binary markers. We describe major changes in the topology of the parsimony tree and provide names for new and rearranged lineages within the tree following the rules presented by the Y Chromosome Consortium in 2002. Several changes in the tree topology have important implications for studies of human ancestry. We also present demography-independent age estimates for 11 of the major clades in the new Y chromosome tree.

Karafet, T.M., Mendez, F.L., Meilerman, M.B., Underhill, P.A., Zegura, S.L., and Hammer, M.F. New binary polymorphisms reshape and increase resolution of the human Y-chromosomal haplogroup tree. Genome Res. doi:10.1101/gr.7172008.

By Blaine Bettinger | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (7)

The New Y-Chromosome Tree to be Released Tomorrow

1 April 2008 – 7:37 pm

A long-anticipated new version of the Y-Chromosome Tree will be released in the journal Genome Research tomorrow (Wednesday, April 2nd). In the paper, scientists from the University of Arizona and Stanford University use recent SNP data and research to reformulate the familiar Y-chromosome tree (see, for example, the current tree at ISOGG). Here is the full text of the press release.  The paper should appear here as soon as it is made available by Genome Research tomorrow.

From the press release:

In an article published online today in Genome Research (www.genome.org), scientists have utilized recently described genetic variations on the part of the Y chromosome that does not undergo recombination to significantly update and refine the Y chromosome haplogroup tree. The print version of this work will appear in the May issue of Genome Research, accompanied by a special poster of the new tree.

Hammer’s group integrated more than 300 new markers into the tree, which allowed the resolution of many features that were not yet discernable, as well as the revision of previous arrangements.

Furthermore, Hammer explains that this work has resulted in the addition of two new major haplogroups, S and T, with novel insights into the ancestry of both. “Haplogroup T, the clade that Thomas Jefferson’s Y chromosome belongs to, has a Middle Eastern affinity, while haplogroup S is found in Indonesia and Oceania.”

Here is the full citation of tomorrow’s paper:

Karafet, T.M., Mendez, F.L., Meilerman, M.B., Underhill, P.A., Zegura, S.L., and Hammer, M.F. New binary polymorphisms reshape and increase resolution of the human Y-chromosomal haplogroup tree. Genome Res. doi:10.1101/gr.7172008.

By Blaine Bettinger | Posted in DNA Studies, DNA in the News | Comments (1)

RootsTelevision Won Four Telly Awards!

27 March 2008 – 6:51 am

Congratulations to RootsTelevision, co-founded by Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak and Marcy Brown, which just won FOUR Telly Awards! The press release is included below. And don’t forget that you can watch RootsTelevision right here at TGG!

RootsTelevision.com Wins Four Telly Awards in Its First Year

PROVO, UT, March 26, 2008 – RootsTelevision.com, an online channel dedicated to all aspects of genealogy and family history, has been recognized in the 29th Annual Telly Awards for four of its original productions. Selected from more than 14,000 shows were “DNA Stories: A Tale of Two Fathers” (documentary), “Heir Jordan: Extreme Genealogy” (entertainment), “Roots Books: Psychic Roots” (talk show), and “Flat Stanley’s Family Tree” (children’s audience).

“We’re delighted,” said RootsTelevision.com co-founder, Marcy Brown. “To receive this kind of recognition during our first year of existence is remarkable, and winning in four different categories is even more astonishing. We take this as an indication that our decision to pioneer online programming for the substantial but neglected niche of millions of genealogists was a risk worth taking.”

The four winning shows include an episode of “DNA Stories,” a series that focuses on the exploding hobby of genetic genealogy and shows how avid roots-seekers are using DNA testing to solve family history riddles. The award-winning “Tale of Two Fathers” episode features Bob Zins and his efforts to determine whether the man who raised him was really his father. “Heir Jordan: Extreme Genealogy” showcases the unexpected twin talents of Jordan Auslander, who’s both a professional genealogist and stand-up comic. “Roots Books,” a talk show hosted by Sharon DeBartolo Carmack, received its award for the especially popular “Psychic Roots” episode that centers on a discussion of the role of serendipity in genealogy between Sharon and popular speaker and author, Hank Jones. And “Flat Stanley’s Family Tree” follows the beloved children’s character as he explores his colonial roots in Williamsburg, Virginia and his gold rush roots in California.

Founded in 1978, The Telly is the premier award honoring outstanding local, regional and cable TV programs, as well as the finest video and film productions. The Telly Awards, a highly respected international competition, annually showcases the best work of the most respected production companies in the world.

About RootsTelevision.com
RootsTelevision.com was co-founded by producer, Marcy Brown, and professional genealogist, Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak (yes, her real name). Marcy and Megan, who frequently refer to themselves as “two chicks and a channel,” launched online in late 2006 and already provide more than 1,000 videos – free, on-demand and 24/7 — for family history enthusiasts around the globe. For more information, please visit www.rootstelevision.com.

Links to the award-winning shows:

DNA Stories: A Tale of Two Fathers:

http://rootstelevision.com/players/player_dna.php?bctid=240040765

Heir Jordan: Extreme Genealogy:

http://rootstelevision.com/players/player_rootsliving.php?bctid=240119643

Roots Books: Psychic Roots:

http://rootstelevision.com/players/player_rootsbooks.php?bctid=240035625

Flat Stanley’s Family Tree:

http://rootstelevision.com/players/player_kids.php?bctid=525667948

By Blaine Bettinger | Posted in DNA in the News | Comments (0)

Interesting DNA Links - March 26, 2008

26 March 2008 – 3:00 am

Here are a few of the many interesting links from the DNA blogosphere:

  • DNA Testing Firms Eye Consumers (BBC) - yet another article that looks at both sides of the “should you test” debate.
  • Genetic Testing Gets Personal (Washington Post) - a lengthy discussion of many different types of DNA testing.
  • The Scientific Studies/Papers Page at ISOGG - I’ve been meaning to share this one for a while. The page describes methods for obtaining and reading scientific papers about genetic genealogy (or any other scientific topic, for that matter). This is a helpful resource for anyone who is interested in learning more about the science behind genetic genealogy.

By Blaine Bettinger | Posted in DNA Studies, DNA in the News | Comments (0)

ISOGG Launches Newsletter

20 March 2008 – 7:26 am

imageThe International Society of Genetic Genealogy (ISOGG) has just launched a new newsletter. The first edition, March 2008, is available here. This edition discusses GINA, a DNA Success Story by Shoshone, a segment called “The Armchair Geneticist: Where Hobby Produces Science”, What’s New in ISOGG, and a Featured DNA Project.

The newsletter is well-written and has some great graphics, so be sure to subscribe to this FREE newsletter (see the bottom of the newsletter for subscription information).

By Blaine Bettinger | Posted in DNA for Newbies, DNA in the News | Comments (4)

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

17 March 2008 – 10:16 am

In honor of St. Patrick’s Day and my Irish DNA, here is picture of one of the many beautiful places I visited on my trip to Ireland - Slea Head, the tip of the Dingle peninsula, as a storm rolls in (2004):

Slea Head

By Blaine Bettinger | Posted in Genealogy, Miscellaneous | Comments (8)

The Six Founding Native American Mothers

17 March 2008 – 3:00 am

BeringiaIf you’re interested in DNA, Native American History, or genetic genealogy, then you’re undoubtedly heard of a new paper from PLoS ONE called “The Phylogeny of the Four Pan-American mtDNA Haplogroups: Implications for Evolutionary and Disease Studies.” The authors, from all around the world (including Ugo A. Perego from SMGF and Antonio Torroni from Italy) analyze over 100 complete Native America mtDNA genomes. From the abstract:

“In this study, a comprehensive overview of all available complete mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) genomes of the four pan-American haplogroups A2, B2, C1, and D1 is provided by revising the information scattered throughout GenBank and the literature, and adding 14 novel mtDNA sequences. The phylogenies of haplogroups A2, B2, C1, and D1 reveal a large number of sub-haplogroups but suggest that the ancestral Beringian population(s) contributed only six (successful) founder haplotypes to these haplogroups.”

All Native American mtDNA can be traced back to five Haplogroups called A, B, C, D, and X. More specifically, Native American mtDNA belongs to sub-haplogroups that are unique to the Americas and not found in Asia or Europe: A2, B2, C1, D1, and X2a (with minor groups C4c, D2, D3, and D4h3). Based on the study, the A2, B2, C1, and D1 groups are estimated to have developed between 18,000 and 21,000 years ago. Since the Native American mtDNA sub-haplogroups are not found in Asia, they are believed to have developed while founding groups were crossing into the Americas from Asia via Beringia.

The study suggests that 95% of Native American mtDNAs are descended from the six founding mothers of the A2, B2, C1b, Cc, C1d, and D1 sub-haplogroups. The other 5% is composed of the X2a, D2, D3, C4, and D4h3 sub-haplogroups.

It should be noted that these results are not considered the last word on the subject, as more sequences and further research is needed. From the paper:

“Our snapshot of the phylogenies for haplogroups A2, B2, C1, and D1 is only partially representative of Native American mtDNA variation, since most likely it only marginally includes the variation of Native American populations from Central and South America.”

For more information:

By Blaine Bettinger | Posted in DNA Studies, DNA in the News | Comments (1)

Genetic Testing on NBC’s Today Show

15 March 2008 – 3:00 pm

MSNBC has a very short article entitled "DNA Testing: Would You Do It?"  Last Friday, Linda Avey and Anne Wojcicki - co-founders of 23andMe - were interviewed by NBC News Correspondent Peter Alexander and Today show host Ann Curry to discuss the company.  The 7.5 minute video is below:

By Blaine Bettinger | Posted in DNA Companies, DNA in the News | Comments (7)

DNA Testing of New York’s New Governor David Paterson

14 March 2008 – 12:51 am

As of Monday the 17th of March, David Paterson will be the Governor of New York State.  Lt. Gov. Paterson recently sat down with Susan Arbetter of WHMT’s NYNOW to discuss the results of his genetic genealogy test results.  Paterson is probably the first governor in the United States to have undergone genetic genealogy testing, and might be the highest government official to do so and then speak openly about it.  These videos are very enjoyable, and it’s interesting to learn more about the future Governor.

In the first segment, Arbetter and Paterson discuss some of Paterson’s genealogy.  They also discuss Paterson’s Y-DNA, which is of European origin.  Arbetter writes on her blog: "On the Lt. Governor’s paternal side, like almost 25% of all African Americans, he’s got white progenitors from England, Ireland and Scotland."

 

In the second segment, Paterson starts out discussing his maternal ancestry and the West African origin of his mtDNA.  Arbetter writes on her blog: "On his maternal side he has eastern European Jewish ancestry, as well as strong ties to what’s known as the Guinea Bissou region of West Africa which is now divided among Cameroon, Sierra Leone and Gambia."

In the final section, Arbetter and Paterson discuss issues of race and politics:

Arbetter blogged about Paterson’s DNA testing at "The Lt. Governor’s DNA: A Citizen of the World" and "Paterson’s Staff; Spitzer’s children."

By Blaine Bettinger | Posted in DNA Articles, DNA in the News, Famous DNA | Comments (7)

New eBook: I Have The Results of My Genetic Genealogy Test, Now What?

11 March 2008 – 3:30 pm

I often get emails from people who are new to genetic genealogy asking questions about their newly-received DNA testing results. They are unsure about about what the results mean, how to find more information, or what to do next. I also see people ask these questions in all of the DNA forums and mailing lists that I subscribe to. Although I do my best to help the people that email me, I often wish there was more I could do.

In an attempt to assist people with the interpretation of their genetic genealogy testing results, I’ve written an eBook that takes the reader step-by-step through an analysis of their Y-DNA or mtDNA results, including estimating a haplogroup and sub-clade from testing results, finding resources to learn more about particular haplogroups, and finding haplogroup and haplotype matches, among many other topics. Here is the Table of Contents from the 28-page eBook:

Chapter 1: What Is (And Isn’t) Genetic Genealogy?
Chapter 2: How Do I Interpret My Y-DNA Results?
Chapter 3: How Do I Interpret My mtDNA Results?
Chapter 4: Monitoring the Field of Genetic Genealogy

I’m offering this eBook for free to anyone that might be interested in interpreting the results of their genetic genealogy test. And please feel free to share this eBook with your friends, mailing list, or anyone else. Without further ado:

Untitled - 3

I’ve spent many hours over the past few months working on this eBook, and I hope that you find it helpful in your own genetic genealogy journey. If you find anything that might need correction, or have any suggestions for future editions, please feel free to email me. And check back often for updates to this eBook. If you find the eBook helpful, please consider subscribing to my blog for updates and future releases.

By Blaine Bettinger | Posted in DNA for Newbies | Comments (23)

Controversial Article About Genetic Tests At The Jewish Journal

10 March 2008 – 3:00 am

An article entitled “Gene Test Kits - Can They Lead To Dating Services” by Annalee Newitz discusses the author’s thoughts on the implications of genome sequencing offered by the number of companies that have sprung up in the past year. As a genetic genealogist who is interested in the intersection of law, science, and ethics, I’m always interested in articles that examine the ethical issues associated with affordable genome sequencing. Unfortunately, this article turned out to have little substance behind some serious accusations.

“Snake Oil”?

Newitz begins by mentioning companies 23andMe and deCODEme, both of which recently launched genome scanning services. She then proceeds to her thesis, which is that these services are not only not useful, they are dangerous. She states:

“While there are many theories about how genetic expression works on our personalities and health, there are few solid facts. Some tests, such as those for various kinds of developmental disabilities, have provable results. But many genetic tests, like those 23andme claim can reveal ‘athletic ability,’ are the biotech version of snake oil.”

Snake oil was used by the author to describe this product as having exaggerated marketing but questionable quality. If you do a search for ‘23andMe and “athletic ability”‘, the second link is 23andMe’s “Variations: Speed Gene: Fact or Fiction?” which examines the proposed link between the ACTN3 gene and athletic ability. The mini-report cites the scientific study (Lucia et al. (2007). “Citius and longius (faster and longer) with no alpha-actinin-3 in skeletal muscles?” Br J Sports Med. 41(9): 616-7) behind the link and concludes in part with:

“The fact that this long jumper is the first and so far only Olympic power athlete to be found who lacks the “gene for speed” is evidence for how important this gene is in determining this type of athletic ability. But his success is a testament to the fact that genes are not destiny.”

The question of ‘exaggerated marketing’ or ‘questionable quality’ are debatable, as we’ve certainly seen in the blogosphere in the past year, so I won’t get into any further analysis other to say that these companies, much like genetic genealogy companies, apply the results of scientific studies to the customer’s DNA and are not simply making up the information. It’s important to remember that the people taking these tests are pioneers; they are amply warned that the results are not a diagnosis and shouldn’t be used to make any important life decisions. The average price of these tests, $1,000 to $2,500, also suggests that people will not buy them on a whim.

Eugenics?

My biggest concern comes from Newitz’s suggestion that genome scanning will lead to selective breeding (although she uses the term ‘eugenics’):

“But I don’t think it is just a little fun, like chocolate or “find the inner you” classes are. What I see when I look at a site like 23andme is nothing less than the future of eugenics. I don’t mean the scary capital E eugenics of the 1930s that involved killing Jews and sterilizing “loose women.” I mean wild-type eugenics, the kind of genetic engineering that happens in nature without any dictatorial intervention.”

“While newspaper stories about the new personalized genomics services trumpet the arrival of the future, I see nothing but the past. This isn’t science for the masses; it’s not enlightenment. It’s just the same old stuff dressed up in the language of modern biology and tricked out with a zoomy Javascript interface.”

I would argue that customers are using genomic services as a science and for their own enlightenment. For instance, just head over to the GENEALOGY-DNA archives and see all the discussion and analysis of the results of these products in the past 4 months. Genetic genealogists, most of whom are not phd-trained scientists (i.e. the masses), are already beginning to analyze the results of genomic sequencing for SNPs that might be associated with particular haplotypes, and thus reveal information about genetic genealogy. Although this represents just a fraction of the people who have been tested or are interested in testing, it suggests that people are interested in genome scanning as a scientific pursuit to learn more about themselves.

Newitz has an incredible resume (see Wikipedia), but after reading the article I was disappointed by her interpretation of the services offered by genome scanning companies. Although embracing very valid concerns about the cheap availability of genetic information, Newitz turned to sensationalism instead of an insightful discussion of the concerns. It’s possible that she chose to be a little controversial for the purpose of interesting journalism, but I feel like the sensationalism took away any value from the discussion. I’m certainly not discounting any of Ms. Newitz’s concerns, I just wish the article had shared more information in order to produce more informed readers.

By Blaine Bettinger | Posted in DNA in the News, Miscellaneous, Personal Genomics | Comments (2)

February In Review - What Can I Learn From My Visitors?

5 March 2008 – 3:00 am

This post isn’t exactly about genetic genealogy. Rather, it is about what I can learn from my visitors in order to make The Genetic Genealogist a better place to visit. By analyzing statistics at the end of each month, I hope to continue to refine the direction of the blog to create and present the best content possible. Here are a few of the things I learned from my visitors this month:

The Top Ten Most Visited Posts:

  1. The Family Tree of Blue Eyed Individuals
  2. Where Was My Y-DNA and mtDNA in 1808?
  3. Family Tree DNA Launches DNATraints, A New DNA Testing Company
  4. 23andMe Revisited
  5. African American Lives 2 (February 2008)
  6. African American Lives 2 (A preview from April 2007)
  7. Buick And Ancestry DNA Team Up For a DNA Contest
  8. Genetic Genealogy is SO Mainstream - More Black History Month Events
  9. Famous DNA Review Part III - Niall of the Nine Hostages
  10. The First Personal Genomic Sequencing Test Offered for $985

What did I learn from this list? Well, here are a few interesting facts about these posts:

  • Only 5 of the top 10 articles were actually written in February 2008! This tells me that previously-written content is important, and that I should consider reviewing and updating popular older posts.
  • Four of the top 10 articles were about genetic genealogy and Black History Month. In addition to older content, new content about current topics (such as Black History Month) is equally as important.
  • The first two posts were popular among StumbleUpon readers. I’m not surprised by the first article, as it has obvious popular appeal - but I was surprised by the second article. You can never be sure what posts will be picked up and popularized by social media.

Top 15 Keywords in February 2008:

What can I learn from the keywords used by readers to find my blog?

  1. african american lives 2
  2. dna articles
  3. 23andme
  4. navigenetics
  5. genetic genealogy
  6. articles on dna
  7. genetic genealogist
  8. sorenson genomics
  9. africandna.com
  10. buick ancestry
  11. famous dna
  12. dnatraits
  13. genetic genealogy blog
  14. genealogy test
  15. megan smolenyak

Analytics allows me to track other information about these keywords, including (1) how many pages were viewed by people who came to the site via a particular keyword; and (2) the bounce rate of visitors who came via a keyword. Bounce rate is the percentage of people who exit a site from the first page they visit. So, for instance, for my first keyword “african american lives 2″, the average pages read was 2.4, and the bounce rate was 59% (which are both right around my average). What did I learn from my keywords?

  • Again, timely searches are important, as keywords #1, #9, #10, and #12 are all associated with Black History Month or the February launch of a new company (DNATraits).
  • Not surprisingly, TGG is not what people are looking for when they search “genealogy test”, as the page rate was 1 and the bounce rate was 93%. Nothing too surprising there, as I do not sell genealogy tests at TGG.
  • Very surprisingly, the keyword “genetic genealogy blog” had a page rate of 1.1 and a bounce rate of 87%! What are you people looking for? This is one of the only genetic genealogy blogs on the planet! This is a very interesting result that requires further analysis - do I make it clear ‘above the fold’ that this blog is about genetic genealogy? In sharp contrast, the term “genetic genealogist” had a very high page rate at 3.3, and a very low bounce rate at 46%.
  • The highest page rate (3.6) and lowest bounce rate (29%) belonged to the keyword “buick ancestry” from Buick And Ancestry DNA Team Up For a DNA Contest.
By Blaine Bettinger | Posted in Miscellaneous | Comments (0)

Knome and Full Genome Sequencing in the New York Times

4 March 2008 – 8:26 am

iStock_000005356657XSmallAmy Harmon, a science writer for the New York Times, writes “Gene Map Becomes a Luxury Item,” an article about Knome (know-me), a sequencing company that will return a customer’s entire genomic sequence for $350,000. Knome was co-founded by Harvard professor George Church, who also directs the Personal Genome Project.

Dan Stoicescu is a retired millionaire who has recently become Knome’s first customer, and only the second person in the world to purchase his entire genomic sequence. According to Dr. Stoicescu, he understands that as of today there is little that his sequence will reveal, but he plans to compare the results of new studies to his genome daily, “like a stock portfolio.”

The article also reveals that Illumina is planning “to sell whole genome sequencing to the ‘rich and famous market’ this year,” says chief executive Jay Flatley. This probably won’t pose much of a problem to Knome - the founders have stated that they are only “offering 20 individuals the opportunity to participate in [their] initial launch phase.”

By Blaine Bettinger | Posted in DNA in the News | Comments (1)