There has been DNA testing at a criminal investigation level for quite a few years now, most of us are familiar with the OJ case all too well. I figured it would be many years still before it became more available and affordable for an individual to take advantage of. Not only is it readily available, and only $400 to do, it has become part of the social networking discussion.
Many feel that it impedes on their privacy, and will deprive them of the mysteries of their future, but for those willing there are several options to choose from. Just last week the testing company 23andMe hosted a “spit party” at the IAC building, with celebrities in town for Fashion Week and apparently it was a big hit. The testing service was being promoted foremost as a social networking tool, “As in: You are invited to join the group Slow Caffeine Metabolizers.”
As for privacy, it’s certainly up to you to participate - far from the peer pressures we endured back in our day, but one that can surely become a trend. And many will use it for beneficial purposes, such as DeCODEme who is focusing on the analysis of medical issues, “Navigenics and DeCODEme do not offer social networking capabilities. Kari Stefansson, the chief executive of DeCODEme, which is based in Iceland, said 23andMe is in the entertainment business, unlike his company, which has made many genome research discoveries.”
Through the simple process of spitting into a tube and sending it into a lab, one can find out information on 89 genetic markers, including their ancestry details. Couples may soon ask for more than financial background information from their mates, can you imagine it becoming common to ask for your partner’s DNA test results?
I really didn’t expect to see it fall into the social networking scene, but it is slowly creeping into it over the last few years, and I will be watching this one closely for sure.