
Why do I want to share my genetic data?
This is a guest post by Craig Macpherson about why he wants to share his genetic data. He is the founder and editor of DNA Testing Choice, a reviews site for the DNA tests you can take at home. Why have I recently had my Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) done, and why do I want to make this data publicly available? Let me take you back a few years so I can answer this question… Although I founded DNA Testing Choice two years ago, I actually came up with the idea in 2010 when I read an article in The Times. A journalist had taken three home DNA tests to establish his genetic predisposition to glaucoma. The results of these tests were broadly similar, but the interpretation of his genetic variants differed significantly. This raised two interesting questions for me, 1) ‘how would I work out which home DNA test to take, given the complex nature of the service?’, and 2) ‘how would I verify the interpretation I received?’ The first question inspired the site, the second inspired me to buy my WGS. It seemed to me that those taking home DNA tests should be able to separate the raw genetic […]