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<ul class="summary-list"><li>This story was delivered to Business Insider Intelligence Digital Health Pro subscribers earlier this morning.</li><li><a href="https://store.businessinsider.com/products/digital-health-pro-membership?IR=T&amp;itm_source=businessinsider&amp;itm_medium=content_marketing&amp;itm_campaign=briefing_post&amp;itm_content=top_text&amp;itm_term=bundle_subscription_text_link-nebula-launches-direct-to-consumer-whole-genome-sequencing-test-2020-2">To get this story plus others to your inbox each day, hours before they're published on Business Insider, click here.</a></li></ul><p>California-based startup Nebula Genomics launched a consumer product that will offer users whole genome sequencing for $299, <a href="https://e.businessinsider.com/click/19491377.4/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubW9iaWhlYWx0aG5ld3MuY29tL25ld3MvbmVidWxhLWdlbm9taWNzLWxhdW5jaGVzLTI5OS1kaXJlY3QtY29uc3VtZXItd2hvbGUtZ2Vub21lLXNlcXVlbmNpbmc/5d233c18f730436f2414784fBe1783a3d" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to</a> MobiHealth News.</p><p>The startup differs from other popular direct-to-consumer (DTC) genomics companies because it performs a 30X whole genome sequencing: Many DTC genetic testing products, such as 23andMe's $99 basic service, employ genotyping, which is not as comprehensive as whole genome sequencing, as genotyping only focuses on a snapshot (less than <a href="https://e.businessinsider.com/click/19491377.4/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbnRlbGxpZ2VuY2UuYnVzaW5lc3NpbnNpZGVyLmNvbS9wb3N0L3Zlcml0YXMtc2xhc2hlcy1jb3N0cy10by1iZWF0LWJhY2stcml2YWxzLWxpa2UtMjNhbmRtZS1yZXNlYXJjaGVycy1sZWFuLW9uLWVocnMtdG8taW5mb3JtLWRydWctdXNlLWNhc2VzLWNlZGFycy1zaW5haS1pbmR1Y3RzLWxhdGVzdC1pbmN1YmF0b3ItY2xhc3MtMjAxOS03P2NpZD1zZWFyY2g/5d233c18f730436f2414784fBf637148d" target="_blank" rel="noopener">1%</a>) of a person's total genome.</p><p>The launch of Nebula's whole genome sequencing product comes amid a downturn in the DTC genetic testing market - but the startup is betting on its affordability and emphasis on security.</p><p>The startup is likely hoping its cheaper whole genome sequencing tests will lure over consumers who have used less comprehensive kits, or those who have been interested in whole genome sequencing, but couldn't afford it. Earlier this month, Ancestry laid off approximately <a href="https://e.businessinsider.com/click/19491377.4/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbnRlbGxpZ2VuY2UuYnVzaW5lc3NpbnNpZGVyLmNvbS9wb3N0LzYwLWhlYWx0aC1zeXN0ZW1zLXNpZGUtd2l0aC1lcGljLWFnYWluc3QtaGhzLWRhdGEtc2hhcmluZy1ydWxlcy1hbmNlc3RyeS1sYXlzLW9mZi0xMDAtZW1wbG95ZWVzLWdvb2dsZS1ib3N0b24tY2hpbGRyZW5zLXVzZS1haS10by1wcmVkaWN0LWx5bWUtZGlzZWFzZS0yMDIwLTI_Y2lkPXNlYXJjaA/5d233c18f730436f2414784fB03b886b3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">100</a> employees, and 23andMe laid off <a href="https://e.businessinsider.com/click/19491377.4/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbnRlbGxpZ2VuY2UuYnVzaW5lc3NpbnNpZGVyLmNvbS9wb3N0LzIzYW5kbWUtbGF5cy1vZmYtMTAwLWVtcGxveWVlcy1hbWlkLWRlY2xpbmluZy1zYWxlcy1lcGljLW1heS1zdWUtaGhzLW92ZXItZGF0YS1zaGFyaW5nLXJ1bGVzLXByYWN0aWNlLWZ1c2lvbi10by1wYXktMTQ1bS1pbi1vcGlvaWQta2lja2JhY2stY2FzZT9jaWQ9c2VhcmNo/5d233c18f730436f2414784fB2852c5f3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">14%</a> of its workforce amid falling sales figures, highlighting how genetic testing giants are starting to cope with the cool down in the DTC genetic testing market.</p><p>As part of its efforts to combat waning consumer interest in the space, Nebula has focused on making whole genome sequencing less expensive: In comments made to MobiHealth News, Nebula Genomics cofounder Dennis Grishin noted "... we are twice as cheap as the nearest competitors... right now, the price is about $600 or $700 if you want to buy 30X whole genome sequencing.</p><p>We are doing it at $299." Given the more comprehensive health insights that can be gleaned from whole genome sequencing, Nebula could still capture customers who have used genetic testing kits from the likes of 23andMe and Ancestry.</p><p>The startup is also working to address privacy concerns that could be holding some consumers back from using DTC genetic tests. Nebula has also made a point to ease users' privacy concerns, an issue Senator Chuck Shumer (D-New York) <a href="https://e.businessinsider.com/click/19491377.4/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubW9iaWhlYWx0aG5ld3MuY29tL2NvbnRlbnQvc2VuLXNjaHVtZXItY2FsbHMtZnRjLXJlZ3VsYXRlLWNvbnN1bWVyLWRuYS10ZXN0aW5n/5d233c18f730436f2414784fB2ba58ae6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">addressed</a> in 2017 with a letter to the Federal Trade Commission, urging it to ensure genetic testing firms' privacy policies were transparent and fair.</p><p>The startup is building a secure data management platform that will leverage blockchain technology and "privacy-preserving computing." Blockchain technology has an access control element that tracks permissions users have given to their data - and Nebula will implement this technology to give users greater control over who can access their data, with the hopes of building consumer trust in the process.</p><p>We've seen other DTC genetic testing firms move away from the DTC space and pursue tie-ups to secure future revenue - and we're skeptical that Nebula's DTC-focused strategy will be viable in the long-run. The cool down in the DTC genetic testing market has led genetic testing firms to up their pursuit of tie-ups with healthcare stakeholders across the ecosystem: For example, genetic testing startup Helix made the strategic shift away from the DTC space last year to focus on provider partnerships like its recent <a href="https://e.businessinsider.com/click/19491377.4/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbnRlbGxpZ2VuY2UuYnVzaW5lc3NpbnNpZGVyLmNvbS9wb3N0L25ldy1hbWF6b24tY2FyZS1oaXJlLXBvaW50cy10by1wdWJsaWMtcm9sbC1vdXQtYWNjb2xhZGUtZ2VhcnMtdXAtZm9yLXBvdGVudGlhbC0yMDIwLWlwby1tYXlvLWNsaW5pYy10YXBzLWhlbGl4LWZvci1nZW5ldGljLXRlc3RpbmctcHJvZ3JhbS0yMDIwLTE/5d233c18f730436f2414784fB4210d767" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tie-up</a> with Mayo Clinic to build a genomic database, and 23andMe <a href="https://e.businessinsider.com/click/19491377.4/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbnRlbGxpZ2VuY2UuYnVzaW5lc3NpbnNpZGVyLmNvbS9wb3N0LzIzYW5kbWUtaW5rcy1hLWRlYWwtdG8tYWNjZWxlcmF0ZS1jbGluaWNhbC1yZXNlYXJjaC1yZWNydWl0bWVudA/5d233c18f730436f2414784fB624cce0b" target="_blank" rel="noopener">teamed up</a> with TrialSpark to speed up clinical trial recruitment.</p><p>But Nebula's rollout of whole genome sequencing to consumers suggests the startup is looking to get its product into the hands of a wider audience. However, we're skeptical that this DTC-centered approach will pay off in the long-term: While Nebula could see early consumer interest in its whole genome sequencing product, the startup could face hurdles sustaining consumer interest down the road once its pricey, single-use product has been used.</p><p>And while one of Nebula's offerings - the Nebula Research Library - is designed to keep customers engaged with updates on the latest research advancements that might be relevant to their genetic information, I (Dane) don't think this value-add will be enough to convince consumers to buy the whole genome sequencing product or to help Nebula secure long-term revenue after users have completed their initial tests.</p><p><em><strong>Want to read more stories like this one? 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Nebula Genomics rolled out a low-cost genome sequencing test to consumers

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Reuters/Mike Segar</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>The mapping of the human body's complete set of DNA - also known as whole genome sequencing - has been held up as a potential game-changer in healthcare.<br /><br />The idea, backers say, is that by understanding more about your genetics, doctors can tailor treatments for ailments like cancer to each patient. <br /><br />But there's been two big drawbacks to the technology. First, it was historically very <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/health-ventures-offer-exams-for-rich-2015-10">expensive</a>, with sequencing costs alone staying in the million-dollar range up through 2008. Since then, <a href="http://www.nature.com/news/is-the-1-000-genome-for-real-1.14530">several companies</a> <a href="http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/veritas-genetics-breaks-1000-whole-genome-barrier-300150585.html">have</a> <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/matthewherper/2014/01/14/the-1000-genome-arrives-for-real-this-time/#2715e4857a0b22eea88961c9">claimed</a> to reach the $1,000 per genome mark.<br /><br />Second, because the FDA restricts direct sales of health reports to consumers that have the potential to diagnose or change a course of treatment - information considered actionable - most genome sequencing products are limited to offering only details about ancestry and traits.</p><p>But on Tuesday, a company called Sure Genomics said it has a solution to both of those factors. It introduced its first commercial product: a $2,500 sequencing of your entire genome. <br /><br />The company's test can tell things like how you might react to a certain drug based on genetic mutations in genes <strong>-</strong> such as if you have the BRCA genes that could predispose you to breast cancer - as well as the more common reading on ancestry, wellness and traits.</p><p>Sure Genomics has its own physician involved in the process, which is why the FDA lets it sell medical diagnostics directly to consumers. As for the price tag? That reflects the rapid drop in cost of genome sequencing thanks to advances in technology. </p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_left"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="http://www.genome.gov/images/content/costpergenome2015_4.jpg">NIH</a></span></p><p class="caption">The cost per genome has fallen close to the $1,000 range per genome, down from the cost of the very first human genome sequence, which cost $100 million.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><h2>Here's how the sequencing works:</h2><p>Like any other consumer genetics test, it all starts by ordering a test. <br /><br />But unlike a 23andMe or AncestryDNA test, which don't provide any information that can be considered "actionable" by the FDA, Sure Genomics loops in a physician from its network to gather information about your family history and order the sequencing that intends to answer your specific questions about your health. The physician then prescribes the sequencing, meaning they technically have oversight of the information you're about to get back. </p><p>Next, it's time to send your spit off to get sequenced in a CLIA-certified lab that works with Sure Genomics. The company analyzes the raw data, comparing it to existing genomic databases to come back with the variety of reports. Finally, you get your results and have the chance to run through them with the assistance of a genetics counselor supplied by Sure Genomics. <br /><br />Rick White, a co-founder of Sure Genomics, told Business Insider that they've been communicating with the FDA to make sure they are on the same page as the regulatory agency in terms of what information they can and can't provide directly to the person being sequenced.</p><p>Here's what the reports look like once a genome's been sequenced and interpreted:</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><p class="source"><span>Courtesy Sure Genomics</span></p><p class="caption">A screenshot of the reports page.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><h2>Storing an entire genome</h2><p>When it's all said and done, Sure Genomics will have sifted through all 3 billion of a person's base pairs (the building blocks of the genome), along with information about what diseases that person might be predisposed to, or if there are certain medications that might react better with your genes than others.</p><p>That amounts to 66 gigabytes worth of information. To store it, Sure Genomics came up with a "Sure Vault" system that keeps it safe and HIPAA compliant, meaning your genetic information won't fall into the wrong hands. White said the founders' backgrounds are in tech and software, so they're really focused on making  your genetic information interactive and useful.</p><p>"It's completely secure. Only you have access to it," he said. That means there's no plans to build out a database using existing customer genetic information. "This is your most private information. We want to stand strong as somebody who is completely focused on consumer privacy first."</p><p>White said the goal is to get the cost of the initial sequence down even farther, which is certainly possible based on how quickly the cost of sequencing a genome is falling. The hope, White said, is to make the information available in the genome available to everyone. </p><p>Sure Genomics expects to start shipping collection kits by June 2016.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/concussion-doctor-oj-simpson-has-cte-nfl-brain-2016-1">The doctor who inspired the movie 'Concussion' is convinced OJ Simpson has a brain disease</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="Y4b2FpMDE68xfQdfCG2Op2J_Pr4oZuke" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

For $2,500 this company will lay out your entire genetic blueprint

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table full"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>We don't traditionally think of flushing the toilet as an action that costs money. But actually the cost of a flush comes in at about 1 cent. Imagine if sequencing a genome was that easy and cheap? Soon, that could be a reality, according to a leading genome researcher. He predicts we will be sequencing genomes for pennies as soon as 2020.</p>
<p>And when genomes are that cheap to come by, the information they provide will completely revolutionize medicine as we know it.</p>
<p>You'll be able to monitor your health, discover diseases like cancer before they became obvious, and profile your microbiome - all the microorganisms that call your body home. That will allow you to catch potential health problems much earlier than is possible right now and even before symptoms show.</p>
<p>"And I always like to say, also, whenever we flush one of those toilets, we're going to go ahead and analyze everything in there, there'll be a little genome sequencer sitting there," Raymond McAuley predicted in a lecture at Singularity University's Exponential Finance conference in June. And he should know: he's the Biotechnology and Bioinformatics Chair at Singularity University and an advisor to a number of biotechnology companies.</p>
<h2>The evolution of the genome sequencer</h2>
<p>As of January 2014, sequencing a human genome cost just under $1000 - less than the cost of a chest X-ray, as McAuley had predicted previously. And the price is only going to fall further. McAuley points out that genome scanning is dropping in cost faster than computers can keep up.</p>
<p>Moore's Law observes that computing power doubles every two years, but the cost of sequencing a genome drops by 5 or 10 times per year, which you can see in the following graph.</p>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table full"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>Even now, services like <a href="https://www.23andme.com/" target="_blank">23andMe</a> are able to offer direct-to-consumer genetic testing for $99. These aren't full genome scans, but a partial scan of genetic variations known as single nucleotide polymorphisms, or SNPs. The human genome contains more than 10 million SNPs, of which 23andMe analyzes a few hundred thousand. As technology improves, these kinds of tests should improve with them, and drop in cost. (The $99 price point for 23andMe is somewhat misleading; observers have noted that <a href="http://www.legalgenealogist.com/blog/2012/12/16/december-dna-doings/" target="_blank">the individual testing kits are being sold at a loss</a> so the company can amass a database of genetic information.)</p>
<h2><strong>Shifting to forward-looking medicine</strong></h2>
<p>Once the marginal cost of sequencing and analyzing the all these "omes" - the genome, the exome (the genes that are actively being expressed by any given cell), the microbiome, and so on - become negligible, the stage will be set for truly radical changes to begin.</p>
<p>McAuley sees a shift happening from reactive medicine - our current mode of operating, in which a person gets sick and then goes to a doctor for treatment - to predictive medicine, in which people are screened thoroughly and in advance, perhaps on the day they're born. Such a test might flag any genetic vulnerabilities to rare diseases, predispositions to cancer, provide information on expected longevity, and inform doctors about which medications to use or avoid for a given patient.</p>
<p>We might not even have to wait for a person to be born to screen for chromosomal disorders; invasive amniotic fluid tests, which screen the health of a fetus, will soon be supplanted by a non-invasive blood test that analyzes fetal DNA in the mother's blood.</p>
<p>Similarly, McAuley predicts that mammograms and colonoscopies will be replaced by blood tests powerful enough to catch microscopic tumors, well before cancer has a chance to grow, let alone metastasize. Coupled with genome analysis, this will enable doctors to choose the best form of treatment, ideally rendering long, painful struggles with cancer a thing of the past.</p>
<p>We can even use these tools to sequence the bacteria in and on our bodies: our microbiome. These bacteria, viruses, and fungi impact our health, and may even <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/probiotics-can-make-you-skinny-and-happy-2014-6">contribute to our moods</a>. We are still learning the roles that the microbiome plays on our health, but as the field advances being able to sequence all these bugs in and on your will be a useful tool in manipulating our health.</p>
<h2>What's standing in our way</h2>
<p>That all being said, a person's <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/what-cheap-genome-sequencing-means-for-the-future-of-medicine-2012-8">genetic code isn't much use without the tools to analyze it</a>. This is the big problem in genomics right now - we don't have the processing power to deal with all the raw data we are compiling from genome sequencing. The cost of sequencing is falling more than twice as quickly as the cost of computing, so that the cost of sequencing has more to do with data analysis than data collection:<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table full"><div><div class="image"></div><p></p></div></div>You can watch McAuley's entire lecture below. In addition to cheap sequencing, he also talks briefly about the future of lab-grown food and genetic engineering.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j88APStUcp4"></a></p>

Soon, It Will Cost Less To Sequence A Genome Than To Flush A Toilet - And That Will Change Medicine Forever

<ul class="summary-list"><li><span>This is an excerpt from a story delivered exclusively to Business Insider Intelligence Digital Health Pro subscribers. </span></li><li><span>To receive the full story plus other insights each morning, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/intelligence/digital-health?IR=T&amp;itm_source=businessinsider&amp;itm_medium=content_marketing&amp;itm_campaign=briefing_post&amp;itm_content=top_text&amp;itm_term=bundle_subscription_text_link-veritas-genetics-slashes-mygenome-price-to-compete-with-23andme-2019-7">click here</a>.</span></li></ul><p>Massachusetts-based whole genome sequencing company Veritas Genetics is cutting prices on its myGenome product by<span> </span><a href="https://e.businessinsider.com/click/17393486.2/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuY25iYy5jb20vMjAxOS8wNy8wMS9mb3ItNjAwLXZlcml0YXMtZ2VuZXRpY3Mtc2VxdWVuY2VzLTZwb2ludDQtYmlsbGlvbi1sZXR0ZXJzLW9mLXlvdXItZG5hLmh0bWw/5adde55340f86675182a51c9B9e8143a8" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://e.businessinsider.com/click/17393486.2/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuY25iYy5jb20vMjAxOS8wNy8wMS9mb3ItNjAwLXZlcml0YXMtZ2VuZXRpY3Mtc2VxdWVuY2VzLTZwb2ludDQtYmlsbGlvbi1sZXR0ZXJzLW9mLXlvdXItZG5hLmh0bWw/5adde55340f86675182a51c9B9e8143a8&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1562424065444000&amp;usg=AFQjCNEEDljp0rx12i8BUq5aYIJRb2S8Lw">40%</a><span> </span>to $600 in hopes of expanding its reach with consumers, per CNBC.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right no-rightrail"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div></p><p>The company aims to sequence between 15,000 and 20,000 genomes - defined as a complete profile of DNA - next year, aiming to hit more than 150,000 in 2021 as its services move closer to the $200 price point offered by competitors.</p><p><strong>Here's what it means:<span></span></strong> Veritas' lower-priced genetic testing rivals have run away with the market, though the company believes its more comprehensive approach to genetic health will give it the long-term edge.</p><ul><li>Veritas has fully sequenced 5,000 genomes, while 23andMe has sold 10 million of its genetic testing kits. A lower price point is key to Veritas gaining traction among consumers: For example, the company briefly offered 1,000 of its myGenome tests at the $200 price point common among competitors last November, and they sold out in less than 6 hours. The biggest barrier to decreasing the cost of its services is the high price of Illumina genome sequencing machines - which Veritas relies on to analyze a customer's DNA sample. However, Wired <a href="https://e.businessinsider.com/click/17393486.2/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2lyZWQuY29tL3N0b3J5L3dob2xlLWdlbm9tZS1zZXF1ZW5jaW5nLWNvc3QtMjAwLWRvbGxhcnMv/5adde55340f86675182a51c9Bdf42b8ce" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://e.businessinsider.com/click/17393486.2/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2lyZWQuY29tL3N0b3J5L3dob2xlLWdlbm9tZS1zZXF1ZW5jaW5nLWNvc3QtMjAwLWRvbGxhcnMv/5adde55340f86675182a51c9Bdf42b8ce&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1562424065444000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHQQQLR0rNulvrjPsuG7Q20iEb_iw">predicts</a> Illumina will lower its prices in the near future to fend off Chinese competition, reducing costs for Veritas in the process.</li><li>The sheer amount of data gathered from whole genome sequencing could be what sets Veritas apart from its competitors.Veritas sequences all 6.4 billion letters of its customers' genome and keeps a secure record of the data, unlike genotyping - the genetic testing process used by companies like 23andMe and AncestryDNA - which looks at less than 1% of the total genome, only flagging DNA variants that have already been identified by scientists as having the potential to affect clinical outcomes. Veritas' more comprehensive approach to genetic testing has big potential impacts for payers looking to unlock the value of genetic data. For instance, diabetes cost the US an estimated<span> </span><a href="https://e.businessinsider.com/click/17393486.2/aHR0cHM6Ly9jYXJlLmRpYWJldGVzam91cm5hbHMub3JnL2NvbnRlbnQvZWFybHkvMjAxOC8wMy8yMC9kY2kxOC0wMDA3/5adde55340f86675182a51c9B89941d95" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://e.businessinsider.com/click/17393486.2/aHR0cHM6Ly9jYXJlLmRpYWJldGVzam91cm5hbHMub3JnL2NvbnRlbnQvZWFybHkvMjAxOC8wMy8yMC9kY2kxOC0wMDA3/5adde55340f86675182a51c9B89941d95&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1562424065444000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGxuJvvcJnwuYU1U8qSVWWeUBNLDw">$327</a><span> </span>billion in 2017, according to the American Diabetes Association. But it's a disease that, in addition to factors like diet and exercise, emerges from interactions across multiple different genes - which genotyping can't capture,<span> </span><a href="https://e.businessinsider.com/click/17393486.2/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2lyZWQuY29tL3N0b3J5L3Zlcml0YXMtZ2Vub21pY3Mtc2Nvb3BzLXVwLWFuLWFpLWNvbXBhbnktdG8tc29ydC1vdXQtaXRzLWRuYS8/5adde55340f86675182a51c9Bab7e913b" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://e.businessinsider.com/click/17393486.2/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2lyZWQuY29tL3N0b3J5L3Zlcml0YXMtZ2Vub21pY3Mtc2Nvb3BzLXVwLWFuLWFpLWNvbXBhbnktdG8tc29ydC1vdXQtaXRzLWRuYS8/5adde55340f86675182a51c9Bab7e913b&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1562424065444000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGtZjjst93bug1QOOQpzzkidzEFrA">per</a><span> </span>Wired.</li></ul><p><strong>The bigger picture:</strong><span> </span>I (Zach) think Veritas' long-term plans will involve combining with other companies spun out from its cofounders' lab to improve its research capabilities and eventually offer some form of gene editing service.</p><p>Veritas' new pricing scheme likely isn't primarily aimed at pulling market share from competitors, but rather to build a genomic database it can utilize to expand into new markets. George Church, Veritas cofounder and advisor, has been a part of several major genetics breakthroughs in the past, including the Human Genome Project and the development of<span> </span><a href="https://e.businessinsider.com/click/17393486.2/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cudm94LmNvbS8yMDE4LzcvMjMvMTc1OTQ4NjQvY3Jpc3ByLWNhczktZ2VuZS1lZGl0aW5n/5adde55340f86675182a51c9Bce51bd06" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://e.businessinsider.com/click/17393486.2/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cudm94LmNvbS8yMDE4LzcvMjMvMTc1OTQ4NjQvY3Jpc3ByLWNhczktZ2VuZS1lZGl0aW5n/5adde55340f86675182a51c9Bce51bd06&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1562424065444000&amp;usg=AFQjCNG7DqDaRLzPlY89b3vETWKVUvHtFQ">CRISPR</a><span> </span>- a genome editing technique that allows scientists to cut and paste lines of DNA like text in a Word document.</p><p>Church holds identical roles at the<span> </span><a href="https://e.businessinsider.com/click/17393486.2/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucHJuZXdzd2lyZS5jb20vbmV3cy1yZWxlYXNlcy92ZXJpdGFzLWdlbmV0aWNzLWFjcXVpcmVzLWN1cm92ZXJzZS10by1kZXBsb3ktbGFyZ2Utc2NhbGUtYXJ0aWZpY2lhbC1pbnRlbGxpZ2VuY2UtYW5kLW1hY2hpbmUtbGVhcm5pbmctaW4tZ2Vub21pY3MtMzAwNDk5MDYxLmh0bWw_dXRtX3NvdXJjZT1UcmlnZ2VybWFpbCZ1dG1fbWVkaXVtPWVtYWlsJnV0bV9jYW1wYWlnbj1Qb3N0JTIwQmxhc3QlMjAlMjhiaWktZGlnaXRhbC1oZWFsdGglMjk6JTIwVmVyaXRhcyUyMHNsYXNoZXMlMjBjb3N0cyUyMHRvJTIwYmVhdCUyMGJhY2slMjByaXZhbHMlMjBsaWtlJTIwMjNhbmRNZSUyMCU3QyUyMFJlc2VhcmNoZXJzJTIwbGVhbiUyMG9uJTIwRUhScyUyMHRvJTIwaW5mb3JtJTIwZHJ1ZyUyMHVzZSUyMGNhc2VzJTIwJTdDJTIwQ2VkYXJzLVNpbmFpJTIwaW5kdWN0cyUyMGxhdGVzdCUyMGluY3ViYXRvciUyMGNsYXNzJnV0bV90ZXJtPUJJSSUyMExpc3QlMjBEaWdpdGFsJTIwSGVhbHRoJTIwQUxM/5adde55340f86675182a51c9B58358b1f" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://e.businessinsider.com/click/17393486.2/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucHJuZXdzd2lyZS5jb20vbmV3cy1yZWxlYXNlcy92ZXJpdGFzLWdlbmV0aWNzLWFjcXVpcmVzLWN1cm92ZXJzZS10by1kZXBsb3ktbGFyZ2Utc2NhbGUtYXJ0aWZpY2lhbC1pbnRlbGxpZ2VuY2UtYW5kLW1hY2hpbmUtbGVhcm5pbmctaW4tZ2Vub21pY3MtMzAwNDk5MDYxLmh0bWw_dXRtX3NvdXJjZT1UcmlnZ2VybWFpbCZ1dG1fbWVkaXVtPWVtYWlsJnV0bV9jYW1wYWlnbj1Qb3N0JTIwQmxhc3QlMjAlMjhiaWktZGlnaXRhbC1oZWFsdGglMjk6JTIwVmVyaXRhcyUyMHNsYXNoZXMlMjBjb3N0cyUyMHRvJTIwYmVhdCUyMGJhY2slMjByaXZhbHMlMjBsaWtlJTIwMjNhbmRNZSUyMCU3QyUyMFJlc2VhcmNoZXJzJTIwbGVhbiUyMG9uJTIwRUhScyUyMHRvJTIwaW5mb3JtJTIwZHJ1ZyUyMHVzZSUyMGNhc2VzJTIwJTdDJTIwQ2VkYXJzLVNpbmFpJTIwaW5kdWN0cyUyMGxhdGVzdCUyMGluY3ViYXRvciUyMGNsYXNzJnV0bV90ZXJtPUJJSSUyMExpc3QlMjBEaWdpdGFsJTIwSGVhbHRoJTIwQUxM/5adde55340f86675182a51c9B58358b1f&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1562424065444000&amp;usg=AFQjCNEpq3fYteNmlzSbPsnGtK0Qg7Kuyw">Veritas-acquired</a><span> </span>machine-learning company Curoverse and at a gene editing company called eGenesis, which has the stated goal of creating recoded human organs and tissue that would be<span> </span><a href="https://e.businessinsider.com/click/17393486.2/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cudGVjaG5vbG9neXJldmlldy5jb20vcy82MTMxNzkvZ2Vub21lLWVuZ2luZWVycy1tYWRlLW1vcmUtdGhhbi0xMzAwMC1jcmlzcHItZWRpdHMtaW4tYS1zaW5nbGUtY2VsbC8/5adde55340f86675182a51c9B9e34ec13" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://e.businessinsider.com/click/17393486.2/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cudGVjaG5vbG9neXJldmlldy5jb20vcy82MTMxNzkvZ2Vub21lLWVuZ2luZWVycy1tYWRlLW1vcmUtdGhhbi0xMzAwMC1jcmlzcHItZWRpdHMtaW4tYS1zaW5nbGUtY2VsbC8/5adde55340f86675182a51c9B9e34ec13&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1562424065444000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFtJGlD7y5Fy1TYlxN9j7VApxFZGg">immune</a><span> </span>to all viruses, per the MIT Technology Review.</p><p>A Veritas blog post highlights whole genome sequencing's potential in everything from preventative medicine to life insurance to reproductive gene editing services, what the company refers to as the "<a href="https://e.businessinsider.com/click/17393486.2/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cudmVyaXRhc2dlbmV0aWNzLmNvbS9uZXh0LWdlbm9taWNzLXJldm9sdXRpb24tZXJhLXNvY2lhbC1nZW5vbWU/5adde55340f86675182a51c9B842d98b2" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://e.businessinsider.com/click/17393486.2/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cudmVyaXRhc2dlbmV0aWNzLmNvbS9uZXh0LWdlbm9taWNzLXJldm9sdXRpb24tZXJhLXNvY2lhbC1nZW5vbWU/5adde55340f86675182a51c9B842d98b2&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1562424065444000&amp;usg=AFQjCNEmK9Bv4-KfTQVGGDcnci2CDlqijw">Era of the Social Genome</a>."</p><p>It's likely Veritas' long-term goals involve combining with eGenesis to better leverage insights from genomic data and eventually bring gene editing services to the public.</p><p><em><strong>Interested in getting the full story? 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Veritas is slashing costs to beat back rivals like 23andMe

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>AP/Susan Walsh</span></p><p class="caption">Geneticist George Church, one of Veritas' co-founders.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Veritas Genomics, a biotech company that wants to sequence and analyze your entire genome for $999, just got another $30 million to pull it off. </p><p>Trustbridge Partners led the Series B round, and Lilly Asia Ventures (which had invested previously) and Jiangsu Simcere Pharmaceutical also joined in. In total, Veritas has raised $42 million. </p><p>The company was co-founded by Harvard Medical School biologist George Church (also known for his work with the <a href="https://www.statnews.com/2016/05/16/george-church-profile/">gene editing technology CRISPR</a> and his help in initating the <a href="http://wyss.harvard.edu/viewpage/119/george-church">Human Genome Project</a>). Veritas CEO and co-founder Mirza Cifric told Business Insider that since launching the $999 genome test in March, the company's been busy with a "more than expected number" of genomes to sequence.</p><p>Here's how it works: On Veritas' website, you can go in and get started with ordering a test. However, your doctor has to be the one that prescribes the test - Veritas won't provide one for you. Once the forms are filled out and you pay $999, you're on your way to getting your entire genome mapped out. Once it's all analyzed, that information can be accessed online.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Dragan Radovanovic/Business Insider</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>Your entire genome is filled a whole lot of information - including a lot we're not entirely sure how to interpret just yet. Most genetics tests out there mainly focus on gathering up single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs for short) that are specific mutations that have been linked particular traits or conditions.</p><p>For example, a test for mutations on the BRCA breast cancer gene looks specifically at those mutations (a test Veritas also <a href="https://www.veritasgenetics.com/mybrca">does for $199</a> for those who don't want to opt for the full genome experience). Getting your entire genome sequence is a much larger endeavor.  </p><p>Veritas is seeing a lot of interest for these types of genetics tests around the globe, where people are willing to pay directly for the tests. Cifric noted that with the higher<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/out-of-pocket-healthcare-payments-skyrocketing-2016-9"> out-of-pocket costs people in the US are already paying</a>, that could change sentiments in the US, too. </p><p>"We're maintaining the point of view out-of-pocket affordability is the right way to win in the US as well," Cifric said.</p><p>Where Veritas thinks it can be a reasonable alternative is to genetics tests that look for a specific number of genes but cost a few thousand dollars (which, depending on the insurer, the cost might not fall directly on the person getting that test). "The genome is the obvious choice, because you get that and lot more," he said.</p><p>However, Veritas does recognize that there's still a whole lot we don't know how to interpret all<a href="https://www.genome.gov/11006943/human-genome-project-completion-frequently-asked-questions/"> 3 billion base pairs </a>we've got in our genome. But, with more information coming out all the time about what our genes can and can't tell us, the hope is to get people interested for the long haul. </p><p>"It's not just about getting the customer to have their genome sequenced," Veritas' recently hired chief marketing and design officer Rodrigo Martinez told Business Insider. "It's about, how do you keep people interested and engaged."</p><p><span>Veritas says the funding round will go toward making </span><span>a</span><span> platform where people can access their reports and genomic data in a more user-friendly way, so that it feels less like something you'd see at the hospital and more like an experience you'd have every day. The investment will also </span><span>be used to expand </span><span>the company's global presence.</span></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/most-persuasive-english-phrases-2016-9">The most persuasive phrases in the human language</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="VpcXk2NjE6UZ8y9ofBoB1uvMO0-w0hAO" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

A genetics company that wants to sequence and analyze your entire genome for $999 just raised another $30 million

Toronto, June 11 () Scientists have found that seven out of 27 COVID-19 diagnostic tests which are currently in use may be underperforming possibly due to the novel coronavirus mutating, and have cautioned that the effectiveness of testing methods needs to be re-evaluated. <p> According to the study, published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, many of the tests were developed early in the outbreak when the virus was first identified, and its genetic material was sequenced. </p><p> The researchers from York University in Canada said it is important to re-evaluate the methods periodically to ensure they still work. </p><p> "COVID-19 tests use polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays to diagnose the virus in patients, but if those assays are mismatched due to genetic variability in the viral genome, that raises the concern that the tests may not be detecting all the circulating variants of the virus and results could be inaccurate," explained Kashif Aziz Khan, corresponding author of the study. </p><p> Correcting any mismatches between the assays and the coronavirus genome may help improve the sensitivity and accuracy of some of the diagnostic tests, the researchers said in a statement. </p><p> According to the scientists, the early sequencing of the genetic material of the virus allowed for the development of PCR detection protocols by multiple national organizations that were published by the World Health Organization (WHO). </p><p> These tests, according to the study, use probes that bind to the viral genetic material in a patient sample and help produce several detectable copies of it -- if the person is infected with the coronavirus. </p><p> However, the researchers said these tests that do not account for variations and mutations. </p><p> "Given the potential for the viruses to mutate, genetic variations in the viral genome at primer/probe binding regions can result in potential mismatches and false-negative results," the scientists wrote in the study. </p><p> In the current study, the researchers tested genetic variations in more than 17,000 publicly available viral genome sequences worldwide, and performed an exhaustive evaluation of 27 published diagnostic PCR assays. </p><p> The analysis showed the presence of mismatches in the probe binding regions of the coronavirus genetic material in seven out of the 27 assays. </p> "These findings are potentially important for clinicians, laboratory professionals and policy-makers as it gives them a better idea of which tests may deliver the best results, and how to ensure the tests they are using are properly matched to the virus genome," Khan said. VIS VIS

Coronavirus mutations may lead to COVID-19 diagnosis test mismatch: Study

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Shutterstock</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>Our genomes hold a fantastic amount of information about ourselves. In theory, they explain much about our health, physical characteristics, and even personality traits. And it's easier than ever to access our own genetic information, with sequencing technology rapidly becoming cheaper and better.</p><p>Yet despite all that, most people don't get their own DNA sequenced - in part because it's still hard for the average person to get any practical knowledge from the information in their genomes. We still don't know how to interpret a lot of our genetic information.</p><p>Unless a person is curious about their ancestry or is a <a href="http://www.techinsider.io/what-genomic-testing-can-do-2015-5">patient suffering from cancer or an unknown disease</a>, there's not much to be found, especially without the help of a trained geneticist. And unless more people allow companies and research institutions to start looking at their genetic information, it'll be hard to improve that situation and get any closer to the promise of the human genome.</p><p><strong>A new company called <a href="http://www.helix.com/">Helix</a>, <a href="http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150818005342/en/Illumina-Warburg-Pincus-Sutter-Hill-Ventures-Form#.VddgfFNVhBc">launched August 18</a> with $100 million in investments by partners including Illumina - one of the world-leaders in genome-sequencing - wants to change all that. </strong></p><p>Helix wants to be the hub that connects people (through their genomes) to companies that can offer some useful information based on that genetic material. <strong>It's like an app store for your DNA.</strong></p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="http://www.helix.com/">Helix</a></span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><h2>Here's how this works</h2><p>There's a common belief that we are now - finally, or probably - at the point where genetic information is about to become a lot more valuable. There are major research initiatives that support this information. The Precision Medicine Initiative plans on looking at <a href="http://www.techinsider.io/what-is-the-precision-medicine-initiative-2015-5">genomic data for a million people</a>, and that's just the start. As more and more researchers and big data analysis systems start to pick through people's genomes, a wealth of new information about those genetic codes should become available.</p><p>Because of that, there should be more and more companies that will soon be able to help interpret this information.</p><p>"Genomics is reaching an inflection point in cost, volumes, and knowledge, creating a significant opportunity to unlock information that is currently not widely accessible to individuals," Illumina CEO Jay Flatley said <a href="http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150818005342/en/Illumina-Warburg-Pincus-Sutter-Hill-Ventures-Form#.VddgfFNVhBc">in a press release</a>.</p><p>Helix's plan is to be the connection point that stores your genomic data and connects you to a company that can analyze that data.</p><p>As <a href="http://www.technologyreview.com/news/540711/inside-illuminas-plans-to-lure-consumers-with-an-app-store-for-genomes/?utm_content=buffer7f1b3&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter.com&amp;utm_campaign=buffer">MIT Technology Review's Antonio Regalado explains it</a>, you might use one Helix app to check and see if you have a gene that makes you particularly suited for certain sports - something that <a href="http://www.techinsider.io/how-science-and-technology-are-changing-sports-2015-8">sport specialists have started to test for</a> around the world. If this was your first time using a Helix "app," you would send in something like a spit sample first.</p><p>Helix would then sequence your genetic information, and according to what Flatley told Regalado, they'd do more than the basic genetic sequence that you get with some other services (though not the entire full genome sequence). This would give them what's potentially a huge amount of health data.</p><p>You'd then pay that sports genetics company whatever their fee was, and they'd give you the report based on your genetic information. Helix would then store your genetic data.</p><p>The next time a Helix app appealed to you - the first two official partners are the Mayo Clinic, also an investor in the company, and Laboratory Corporation of America, a diagnostics company that also does blood tests - you could pay the company that runs that app, and they could then access your genomic information and send you their analysis of your DNA.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="http://www.helix.com/">Helix</a></span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><h2>What it means</h2><p>Provided users give their permission, companies may also be able to analyze (potentially anonymized) genomic data to further their research as well. Eventually, that kind of data could lead to to even more useful information from each individual's DNA.</p><p>Creating one hub for genetic services could be what prompts people to start looking to see how genetic information could transform their day-to-day life. And if Helix can handle the lab side, the genome sequencing, the data storage, and the considerable privacy concerns most potential users will have, they can then just make that genomic information available to partners. This could make it easy for anyone with an idea for a genome-analyzing service to tap into the system, making it possible for many companies and scientists who don't have the capacity to develop such a complex end-to-end system to participate and contribute their sliver of genomic expertise.</p><p>At the start, it's unlikely you could get any health information from your DNA sequence. But if Helix - or Helix and a coordinating app - get FDA approval to provide health information based on genes, that could change.</p><p>Before Helix's announcement, we spoke with George Annas, bioethicist and author of "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Genomic-Messages-Evolving-Genetics-Families/dp/0062228250">Genomic Messages</a>," about where genetics is going next and when it's going to start mattering to the average person.</p><p>"It's probably the creation of new websites and things your smartphones can do" that will connect you with your genomic data, he said, rather presciently. The Helix platform seems to be the first step in this new direction.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/tom-cruise-stunts-mission-impossible-rogue-nation-2015-7">This 'Mission Impossible' behind-the-scenes footage of a 53-year-old Tom Cruise hanging off a plane is terrifying</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="IzbjA4djopCYzW9_4w3zercU8vZchV3a" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

A new $100 million company could transform the way we interact with our own DNA

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>AP</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>Veritas Genetics, a Boston-based biotech company co-founded by Harvard geneticist George Church, is claiming it can now sequence your entire genome <span>- the genetic blueprint inside all your cells that makes you who and what you are -</span> for less than $1,000. That price tag includes an interpretation of the results and genetic counseling.</p><p>If the claim is true, it would shatter a long-held barrier in genetic medicine.</p><h2>Reaching the $1,000 genome</h2><p>The so-called $1,000 genome has long been a holy grail in genetics. While others - notably the company Illumina - <a href="http://www.nature.com/news/is-the-1-000-genome-for-real-1.14530">have previously claimed</a> to reach this milestone, these efforts did not include the cost of interpreting the results.</p><p>Veritas says it was the first to deliver the complete $1,000 genome in 2015, when it sequenced the genomes of nearly 5,000 participants in the Personal Genome Project (PGP) at Harvard Medical School.</p><p>"Now that the whole genome is this accessible, it will replace all genetic tests ... because it is all genetic tests, and much, much more," Church said <a href="http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/veritas-genetics-launches-999-whole-genome-and-sets-new-standard-for-genetic-testing-300230258.html">in a statement</a>.</p><p>Veritas hopes that its test, called myGenome, will make it easier for customers to access their genetic information together with their doctors to make better health decisions.</p><p>According to Veritas, the test includes a digital report and app where you can view your results, video-based genetic counseling, and lifestyle-relevant information (related to fitness or nutrition, for example). It also includes access to expert opinions from physicians at Massachusetts General Hospital, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston Children's Hospital, Mayo Clinic, and others.</p><p>Veritas is not a direct-to-consumer test. It requires you to order it through your doctor. However, you can place a pre-order now through the Veritas website, pending your doctor's approval.</p><h2>A new era in genomic medicine</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Shutterstock</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>Most existing genetic tests only cover a portion of your genome. For example, personal genomics company <a href="https://www.23andme.com/">23andMe</a> offers a genetic test for $199 based on single-nucleotide polymorphisms or SNPs - specific genetic mutations that are associated with particular traits and diseases. (In 2013, the FDA ordered 23andMe to <a href="http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementActions/WarningLetters/2013/ucm376296.htm">stop selling its tests</a> with health results because it hadn't gotten approval to provide health information to customers. As of October 2015, the company began providing <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/21/business/23andme-will-resume-giving-users-health-data.html">limited health information</a> to its customers again.)</p><p>But these kinds of tests may miss more than 90% of genetic variations linked to health and disease, because they only look at the part of the genome that're involved in encoding proteins, according to Veritas. The remaining parts of the genome were once considered "junk DNA," but <a href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/hidden-treasures-in-junk-dna/">evidence now suggests</a> these parts have an important role to play.</p><p>Earlier this month, the company <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/sure-genomics-genomic-sequencing-test-2016-2">Sure Genomics announced</a> it was offering a whole-genome test for $2,500. Unlike Veritas, Sure Genomics sells its test directly to consumers, because the company has its own physicians who <span>gather information about your family history and order tests relevant to your specific health questions.</span></p><p>Now, if the $1,000 genome really is here, as Veritas claims, it could transform the genetic testing industry.</p><p>As Veritas CEO and co-founder Mirza Cifric said in a statement, "At this price point, there is no reason to use anything but the whole genome, especially for any tests that are close to or more than the price of our whole genome."</p><p>The company's website says it will begin shipping the tests on March 30.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/bill-nye-climate-change-deniers-2016-2">Bill Nye offers up one scientific fact to shut down climate-change deniers</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="1rNDgzMTE6DyM7x_OLBbDQUY78-pXUgK" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

This genetics company claims it can sequence your entire genome for $999

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>J. Craig Venter, the scientist who led the project to sequence the first human genome, is getting into the elite healthcare business.<p>Venter's company Human Longevity, Inc. (HLI) has announced plans to launch a medical testing service that includes full genome sequencing, medical imaging, and machine learning to provide "the most complete picture of individual health," <a href="http://www.humanlongevity.com/human-longevity-inc-launches-the-health-nucleus-a-comprehensive-and-personalized-health-platform-for-individuals/">the company said a statement</a>.</p><p>But it won't be cheap - each checkup at the new venture, called Health Nucleus, would cost $25,000 or $50,000 a pop, depending on the number of people being tested and the kind of testing they seek, Venter said, <a href="http://www.xconomy.com/san-diego/2015/10/14/j-craig-venter-debuts-elite-testing-service-via-health-nucleus/">according to Xconomy</a>.</p><p>The first Health Nucleus is opening in San Diego, at HLI's headquarters, and others are scheduled to open in other US and international cities in 2016.</p><p>Here are the services it plans to provide:</p><ul><li><strong>Whole human genome sequencing </strong>will give a readout of a person's full set of 6 billion DNA "letter" pairs (most DNA tests cover less than 2% of your genome, according to HLI)</li><li><strong>Microbiome sequencing</strong> will measure the combined DNA of the microbes that live in and on the human body</li><li><strong>Metabolome characterization</strong> will measure the unique chemical fingerprints of the processes that occur in living cells</li><li><strong>A comprehensive body MRI scan</strong>&#xa0;will screen for anything abnormal and provide a baseline picture&#xa0;of health</li><li><strong>Other customized laboratory tests and screenings</strong></li></ul><p>According to HLI, "An experienced team of clinicians, geneticists and bioinformaticians curate these data and produce an integrated report that can inform clients' care."</p><p>But some people are skeptical of the testing service's motives. New York Times <keyword id="41551" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="science">science</keyword> journalist Carl Zimmer tweeted:</p><p><div></div></p><p class="embed-spacer">(A false positive is a test result that incorrectly finds a medical condition that is not actually present.)</p><p class="embed-spacer">Venter called the comment&#xa0;"very naive," (though he didn't say why), adding only that "<span>Technology has advanced in the last 10 years."&#xa0;</span></p><p class="embed-spacer">Zimmer and others also pointed out that with all that genetic data, you might want some genetic counseling on what to do with it. For example, if you find out you're at risk of a certain disease - should you seek costly (and possibly unncessary) preventative treatment?</p><p class="embed-spacer">In addition, many of Health Nucleus' tests are not FDA-approved, since they haven't yet been tested. According to Xconomy, HLI was able to get around this by operating as a clinical research project subject to basic Institutional Research Board (IRB) protocols.</p><p>But Venter is optimistic about the venture's future.</p><p>"The Health Nucleus is our opportunity to lead the way to genomic health, enabling individuals and their physicians to pivot towards a more proactive, preventative and predictive healthcare future," he said in a statement.</p><p>As long as they can afford it, that is.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/how-the-crispr-dna-editing-tool-works-2015-10">Watch science writer Carl Zimmer explain CRISPR in 90 seconds</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="02Z2M0eDoPAy5YuLDPvh7Tg3nC3qY_56" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

A new company plans to offer $25,000 genetic health screenings for the super-rich

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right"><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div>In recent years we've developed amazing new technologies that give us the ability to identify a person's entire genetic code for as little as $1,000 in less than a day.</p><p>Yet <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/daviddobbs/weighing-the-promises-of-big-genomics">many wonder</a> exactly what we've gained by mapping the human genome and finding ways to cheaply run these genetic tests. <span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Futuristic promises about how these innovations could transform healthcare raise questions about whether any of that potential will be fulfilled - or if it's mostly hot air.</span></p><p>One key question:<strong> Does the ability to sequence a genome do anything for us <em style="line-height: 1.5em;">now</em>?</strong></p><p>Absolutely, says Dr. Eric Green, the director of the <a href="https://www.genome.gov/">National Human Genome Research Institute</a> at the National Institutes of Health. Green is involved with the launch of the Precision Medicine Initiative, a national research project that will analyze the genetic information and health data of more than a million people in an effort to eventually figure out which treatments work in each individual.</p><p>"For some things, [genomic testing] is incredibly valuable," says Green, who spoke to Business Insider at Smithsonian magazine's "<a href="http://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/future-here-2015-180954528/?no-ist">The Future is Here</a>" festival.</p><p>Right now, Green says we'd immediately do a genome sequence for two types of patients: those with cancer and those cases known as a diagnostic odyssey, where after seeing all kinds of different doctors and running test after test, they still can't figure out what's wrong.</p><p>Sequencing the genome of a tumor might reveal that it's a particular type of cancer that will respond to a specific drug that we already have. "For some cancers, it's really becoming a standard of care," an essential part of <a href="http://www.nih.gov/precisionmedicine/goals.htm">treatment</a>, says Green, who added that we will hopefully be able to do that for more types of cancer as we learn more.</p><p>"This won't completely put cancer in the rearview mirror," he cautions. But it could make a huge difference.</p><p>A diagnostic odyssey case is different. In some cases these patients have struggled to find out what's wrong for decades. Other patients are newborns with only days to live. Green says that we're now at a point where running a genome sequence <a href="http://www.genome.gov/27531963">can figure out what's wrong</a> roughly a quarter to a third of the time, a number that he expects will improve - in some <a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/genome-sequencing-in-babies-to-begin-as-part-of-study-1419896152">studies of diagnostic odyssey cases</a>, success rates are already higher.</p><p>Sometimes figuring out what's wrong reveals <span>real usable information: </span>a treatment strategy that didn't exist before, something that can keep people alive or improve their quality of life. But figuring out that there's a genetic cause to a diagnostic odyssey doesn't mean that we necessarily have a cure. In many cases, a <span>test often reveals a problem for which there is not yet a solution</span>.</p><p>We still have a lot to learn about what our genomes mean for our health and even more to learn about how we can use that information to treat disease and improve lives. Green knows this, and he explains that it will take years to really revolutionize our current practices - but the progress that we've made so far is still incredible.</p><p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">"The technology allows us to get the information, it doesn't mean we have the knowledge about what all those [genetic] differences mean," explains Green. </span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">"The <keyword id="41551" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="science">science</keyword> hasn't caught up with the technology."</span></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/roar-filmed-with-100-untamed-lions-movie-injured-2015-4">70 people were injured while filming this movie with 100 untamed lions</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="Nzc3hmdDr4a5heo3T-j-WFkV1wYM_fEN" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

The most promising futuristic medical innovation is already making a huge difference for some patients

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/64844553@N07/5905028679/">Flickr/Ginny Washburne</a></span></p></div><p></p></div></div>A growing number of parents are getting their children genetically tested to find out their kids' risk for developing potentially devastating diseases.</p><p>Genetic sequencing tests are already being used <a href="http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1306555">to diagnose children with rare diseases</a>, especially neurodevelopmental disorders.</p><p>But which results from these genetic tests should pediatricians give to parents and patients, and how should the patient's family be involved?</p><p>To help doctors make these decisions, a group of ethicists put together <a href="http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2015/09/08/peds.2015-0624.abstract">some guidelines</a>, which were published Monday in the journal Pediatrics.</p><p>"One of the great advantages of genome sequencing is that it gives answers to people who have spent years looking for a diagnosis for their children with developmental disorders," Laurence McCullough, a medical ethicist at Baylor College of Medicine, who led the group that developed the guidelines, <a href="https://www.bcm.edu/news/ethics/ethics-play-explain-genome-sequencing-parents">said in a statement</a>.</p><p>But the genetic results are often complex, and doctors should discuss this with parents before they decide to have their children tested.</p><p>The new guidelines call for doctors to explain to the patients and their parents</p><ul><li>what the proposed test is</li><li>how complex the test is</li><li>what kind of results to expect</li><li>other secondary or incidental information (which isn't related to the test, but might still be useful) the test could reveal</li></ul><p>When deciding to go through with the testing, doctors should abide by three core ethical standards, according to the report. First, they should consider the best interests of the child; second, they should consider the decision of the parent or legal guardian; and third, the consent of the child.</p><p>Before a child has their genome sequenced, doctors should make sure they have the consent of the parents and of the child, if he or she is a mature adolescent, the ethicists wrote in their report.</p><p>Once the test has been performed, doctors should decide which information to share with parents and patients, and which to withhold.</p><p>"There is no need to get parents caught up in the detail that might have no meaning at all and that cannot be decoded at this time," the report's authors said.</p><p>In addition to medical labs, a number of commercial companies offer genome sequencing services. The Mountain View, California-based company <a href="https://www.23andme.com/">23andMe</a> will sequence a portion of your DNA to provide information about your ancestry, but is not currently allowed to provide information about disease risks, after the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/fda-sends-warning-letter-to-23andme-2013-11">FDA ruled the tests were not approved</a> for this purpose.</p><p>Nevertheless, genetic information is something we're increasingly having to grapple with, as we gain the ability to not only to read our genetic code, but <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-make-a-genetically-edited-human-2015-4">also modify it</a>.</p><p>This technology - which has already been <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/chinese-scientists-genetic-modification-human-embryo-crispr-2015-4">used on non-surviving human embryos</a> - could lead to new treatments for diseases.</p><p>But the first step is giving people the tools to understand what their child's DNA means.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/guess-baby-names-based-on-state-2014-7">We Can Guess Baby Names Based On What State They Were Born In</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="c5Y2NsbjqhPpni69DXQ_oLB5aWnIguUs" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

Experts just released a rough guide for advising parents about whether they should sequence their kids' DNA

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right"><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div>We know more about how the human body works - how we live and die - than we ever have before.</p><p>We've mapped the human genome, the blueprint that's largely responsible for who we are, and scientists are now able to sequence a person's individual genome for less than $1,000 - we can look at a person's genes and find their unique genetic makeup. In theory, this could provide doctors with an unprecedented amount of medical information about a patient.</p><p>As the price of genetic testing continues to fall and the value of the information we're getting from those tests continues to rise, there's one fundamental question: <strong>When are we going to start regularly using genomic testing in medicine?</strong></p><p>When will surgeons test every tumor to see if it shows genetic markers that indicate that a patient's siblings should be tested for the same cancer? When will doctors routinely prescribe specific drugs because a patient's genes indicate that they will work?</p><p><span>In </span><span>an </span><a href="http://stm.sciencemag.org/content/7/287/287fs19">article published May 13</a><span> in the journal <keyword id="41551" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="science">Science</keyword> Translational Medicine, the authors argue that while </span>doctors are already incorporating these kinds of genetic testing tools sporadically, <span>they're actually far more ready to start using them routinely than many think.</span></p><h2>'The future is here'</h2><p>In 2013, the Nature journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/gim/journal/v15/n4/full/gim2012157a.html">Genetics in Medicine published an article</a> titled "Implementing genomic medicine in the clinic: the future is here," where the authors wrote that the early adopters using this technology are far enough along that if they were to collaborate more, it could be a massive benefit to patients. We're ready, the authors said then, <span>to start implementing this technology on a larger scale.</span></p><p>Yet there's still the idea that genetic testing is somehow different from other new medical tests and that we should be cautious before using it.</p><p><a href="http://www.genomes2people.org/team/">Dr. Jason Vassy</a>, the lead author of the new article and an instructor at Harvard Medical School, explained to Business Insider that there are concerns among geneticists that doctors who haven't been trained in genomics aren't ready to use this new technology. There's a shortage of medical geneticists and when asked in surveys, many doctors still respond that they don't have the training or knowledge to use these new tools.</p><p>But Vassy and his coauthors explain that doctors are as ready to start adopting genomic testing as they have been for any new medical technology in the past.</p><p>"Time after time, a new innovation has come along in clinical care and when it actually reaches the point where [that innovation] is important in clinical care, [doctors] have the wherewithal to rise to the occasion," Vassy said.</p><p>Every time a new medical technology is developed, physicians who have been practicing for years are of course not already trained to use it, yet - with the help of experts in the new field - they are able and will most definitely learn what's necessary. They start using the new technology as soon as they know that doing so will be good for their patients.</p><p>What we are now able to do with genomics is new, but the question of whether or not doctors are ready for a new technology is an old one.</p><p>Vassy says it's true that there's a shortage of medical professionals with specialized genetic training - a job that will almost surely see significant growth - but that with some education about how genomic tools could help them in their specialty, doctors should be able to decide when it's appropriate to send a patient to a medical geneticist. Doctors already make plenty of similar calculations on a regular basis - when they decide to send a patient to a radiologist for a CT scan, for example.</p><h2>What will happen next</h2><p>For every doctor, the way that this technology gets incorporated will be different. Primary care physicians might use genomic data to better understand family history of disease while ophthalmologists might look for signs of hereditary eye conditions.</p><p>Some people think that genomic testing could totally transform medicine, that we could sequence the genome of every person and then figure out what kind of medical care will give them the best life. Vassy doesn't think that's practical, at least for now - he wants to see the studies that show a particular genetic test will cause better outcomes for a patient before ordering it.</p><p>But this is one of the fastest-transforming areas of medicine and he says "the number of situations where there will be a genomic solution will just continue to increase and increase and increase."</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/container-ships-collide-suez-canal-egypt-2015-3">Watch these giant container ships collide near the Suez Canal</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="E4MDQ2dDq9xjV9qTP2lvmq2AeTRu-HAW" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

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