Google has invested nearly $4mm in 23andMe, Inc., “an early stage biotech company focused on helping consumers understand and browse their genome”.
The company is co-founded by Sergey’s new wife. Details in this SEC filing, thanks to Gary, himself newly married. From the site:
Even though your body contains trillions of copies of your genome, you’ve likely never read any of it. 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. By connecting you to others, we can also help put your genome into the larger context of human commonality and diversity.
Toward this goal, we are building on recent advances in DNA analysis technologies to enable broad, secure, and private access to trustworthy and accurate individual genetic information. Combined with educational and scientific resources with which to interpret and understand it, your genome will soon become personal in a whole new way.
You think this search stuff ain’t getting cosmic? Uh huh.
John,
Fascinating! I’d sign up to know what’s in my genome — and then I’d buy the Premium Package to have someone explain it to me!
So is Google just interested in what they think will be a good investment, or will they then use your genome to try to deliver more relevant search? Can’t help but ask, as I’ve been blogging for VortexDNA, whose technology generates a ‘genome’ of your purpose and values. This genome gets overlaid onto Google search results, and the plugin circles the two results most relevant to you personally. Cosmic? Could be… but shown to increase relevance by 14%. What do you think?
New features for Orkut – “Find users with similar genes.”
Search personalization based on your SNP data.
Crazy stuff. If somebody like Google really did have mass amounts of personal genetic information linked to all the behaviour data it already collects, I have no doubt there would be some very interesting patterns to find.
cf. Adam Boswell’s noises about moving Google into offering some form of management for your personal medical data.
John, I see that Google’s internal audit committee approved this transaction, but doesn’t it still seem a little odd to you? How are Sergey’s actions any different from those that eventually led to Paul Wolfowitz demise at the World Bank?
I don’t doubt the viability and potential of 23andme. After all, Sergey’s wife seems eminently qualified to run such a venture. Still, Wolfowitz’s girlfriend was a respected World-Bank staffer, too.
Just a thought.