Genetic IQ tests. DNA detective work. Virtual drug trials. These were some of the surprising new uses of DNA information that emerged in the last 12 months, when genetic studies became more extensive than ever before.

Think back to the year 2003. We had just deciphered the first human genome, and scientists were still looking for very specific genetic errors that cause serious hereditary diseases such as muscular dystrophy. Now, however, we are dealing with information about millions of genomes. And the hunts are not just bigger they are fundamentally different. They begin to uncover the genetic roots of common diseases and personality traits, and they make the genetic privacy as good as impossible.

Here are the trends you need to know WITH Technology ReviewOwn reporting last year.

Consumer: It's all about genetic data. Now it is being collected by millions of people, both national and commercial.

Last February, we reported that as many as 12 million people had DNA tests on consumers. Since that number has reliably doubled every year, it's likely to be up to 25 million. In fact, DNA reports are now a mass product. During the Thanksgiving weekend, AncestryDNA's genetic test, which reveals where her ancestors came from, was among the best-selling items.

Big data: To understand the genome, scientists need to study as many people as possible simultaneously. In 2018, several hunts exceeded the million-person mark for the first time. These included the search for genetic foundations for insomnia and educational success. To this end, the researchers used national biobanks and received support from 23andMe, the well-known genetic testing company whose users can register to participate in research.

Polygenic scores: Some diseases are due to a single gene that goes awry. But big killers like heart disease are different instead, they're influenced by hundreds of genetic factors. Because of this, a new method for predicting risks from the entire human genome was the most important story of the year (see polygenic scores on our list of 10 groundbreaking technologies). The new findings may affect a person's chances of getting breast cancer, going through college, or even being big enough for the NBA. In 2019, keep an eye on genetic testing companies such as 23andMe and Color Genomics to see if they are commercializing such gene predictions.

Genetic IQ tests: Genes do not just influence how we look, but who we are. Now some scientists say that the same DNA scores can give a reliable idea of how intelligent a child will be later in life. The unanswered question: how should we use this information, if at all?

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To test embryos: Yes, that is probably how it will be exactly like this science fiction movie Gattacaabout a world where parents pick their children out of a petri dish. IVF centers are already conducting genetic tests and parents are picking embryos to avoid certain serious disease risks. Now, Genomic Prediction, a New Jersey company we presented exclusively in 2017, is ready to test embryos to assess their future educational potential. So forget about CRISPR babies designer kids are already here.

Racist prejudices: Here is something that is not so great: About 80% of the DNA ever analyzed comes from Whites of European descent. This means that some new discoveries and commercial tests only work with whites and do not apply to Africans, Asians, Latinos or other ancestor groups whose genetic patterns are different. There are good scientific reasons to expand the gene hunt, says the geneticist of Stanford University, Carlos D. Bustamante. We may miss health breakthroughs if we look too closely.

Imitation of clinical studies: Did you know that you are part of a gigantic, random experiment? This is true. Or at least some geneticists see you like that. And now they've come up with a very clever trick called Mendelian Randomization that uses human medical information to predict which new medicines work for them and which do not.

Crime fighter: The more DNA data you have, the easier it is to find out who owns a drop of blood or a hair follicle. That's what the Golden State killer experienced in April, when he was caught in the nuisance of using an informal collection of DNA profiles and genealogical trees. In fact, the genetic anonymity of how mathematics works is broken because pretty much all of us already have a relative in a DNA database. A genetic genealogist, CeCe Moore, told us that she has identified 27 murderers and rapists since April. A very good year.

Read the rest here:
All the reasons why 2018 was a year of the outbreak of DNA data - asume tech

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