CAN personal genomics lead to major scientific discoveries? Using online questionnaires filled in by its customers, genome-scanning firm 23andMe has identified new genetic variants associated with curly hair, the inability to smell asparagus in one's own urine and the bizarre reflex that causes some to sneeze in bright light.
Whether such companies can aid the more serious hunt for genes that help determine our susceptibility to diseases like cancer is still up for grabs.
23andMe's initial results, reported at the annual meeting of the American Society of Human Genetics in Honolulu, Hawaii, may seem trivial. But they have impressed some geneticists. "They've demonstrated that they can do genome-wide association ...
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