The Idea and People Behind Genomelink — Unleash the Power of DNA Data
Recently we wrote about sites you can upload your DNA data for more analysis, including Genomelink, which may be of interest if you’ve already gotten tested through AncestryDNA, 23andMe, or MyHeritage!
Today we’re sharing what we want to achieve through Genomelink. (This article is updated in June 2020.)
Unleash the Power of DNA Data
Genomelink is a consumer genomics startup founded by experts who are passionate about the potential of genomics and the role it will play in our lives over the coming years.
Our mission is to “Unleash the power of DNA data”.
What exactly do we mean by this?
We believe there are three aspects:
1. We help people to access scientifically-backed information about their DNA data with fun, easy-to-use, and highly transparent products.
2. We build an infrastructure that empowers people to connect their data with a variety of DNA-powered apps to discover more and improve their health.
3. We ensure people retain ownership of their DNA data.
Ready to Launch? Genetic studies increase every year and cover many different aspects of your identity, lifestyle, and health. We’re ready.
We are building Genomelink as a scientific, educational, and entertaining tool that will allow people to decipher their DNA based on transparent and up-to-date science. For us, it is very important to build a great product that is easy to use — for everyone. We want to create an experience that is both fun and meaningful.
We love genomics, and we want to deliver our excitement directly to you!
In the world of genomics, the rocketship to the universe is about to take off. We know enough to get off the planet, but we don’t know what we will find out there — DNA is a galaxy full of mysteries!
Every year, researchers are spending billions of dollars to find out more about it. The scientific knowledge of DNA is growing by leaps and bounds — every day! Thousands of pages of academic literature are being published about genomics. But, there were no companies or organizations dedicated to curating this mountain of information for millions of individual users.
That’s why we built Genomelink.
We’re bridging the information gap and connecting your genetic data with the most recent and thorough scientific investigations. With Genomelink, you can easily access information on 170+ genetic traits that you carry — traits about your nutrition, taste preferences, fitness, personality, and cognitive function. We break the complex research studies that back this information into easily digestible information — so everyone can understand what the science is saying.
Our Science Team ensures that the scientific research underlying this trait analysis is always kept up-to-date, and we never over-sell or manipulate statistics. Trait information is organized by the depth of information. You can take a quick look and learn some fun facts, or you can dig deeper into scientific details. Each trait also comes with a scientific reliability score — a point-based system that helps determine how much support a given trait has.
We regularly survey users to see how accurate our traits are and if our suggestions proved effective. You can find more about how our users think about the accuracy of Genomelink analysis and some of the limitations in this post as well.
Also, we are now taking you beyond fun traits with our newly added ancestry reports. Our Ancient Ancestry report analyzes which of 7 different ancient groups you are related to, including Hunter-gatherers / First Farmers / Steppe Pastoralists / Indigenous Americans / West African / East Asian / South Asian.
So, there are a ton of ways you can unleash Genomelink to explore your DNA!
The Future is Already Happening — Live Better with DNA Data
Genomelink is starting out on a journey of helping people access more information about their DNA data.
But, we don’t stop there!
We are strong believers in the power of DNA data and its ability to help you to improve your health and lifestyle. The advancement of medical genomics will allow us to have better insights about your health and potential genetic risks you may carry for various diseases and conditions. Knowing you carry a risky genetic variant may help you and your doctor make a plan to reduce your risk.
As the fields of Nutrigenomics and Sports Genetics grow, you may get access to advanced personalized guidance on nutrition, fitness, lifestyle, habits, and more. Admittedly, some of the science is still in its infancy, but we are already seeing a number of meaningful genetic correlations that are proving to be clinically relevant. (Genomelink now offers personalized nutrition and fitness reports by combining the latest of Nutrigenomics and Sports Genomics research with your current diet, body conditions, and DNA data.)
To support the genetics movement, we need as many people to contribute genetic data as possible. The good news is that majority of DNA testing users are very keen to participate in research by contributing their DNA data and answering simple questions. But, where can you find a place to contribute your data? How can you ensure your data is shared with a trusted research organization?
People need an infrastructure that allows users to share their DNA data with relevant experts and receive personalized information in return. This must happen in a completely transparent and highly secure environment. Currently, there is no standard, reliable method of sharing your DNA data with third-party businesses that provide a variety of DNA-personalized services and medical research participation.
We thought:
How can we enable maximum opportunities to access DNA-powered applications and information, while ensuring users retain ownership of their DNA data?
Genomelink is the answer to that question.
Creating an Infrastructure in Consumer Genomics
Our goal is to create a solid infrastructure for Consumer Genomics that allows quality information to be distributed quickly and efficiently. More importantly, Genomelink ensures that users can retain ownership of their DNA data and not lose any access to the treasure trove of information available.
This duality — ownership and access — is the core concept behind Genomelink. So, you can think of Genomelink as a safety deposit box on the cloud where you store your raw DNA data — you could call it a “personal DNA cloud.”
You may choose to share your DNA data or information on certain genetic traits with a business in order to access its personalized DNA service. Your raw DNA data stays secure on the Genomelink server, and you can track any companies or researchers you authorize to access your data.
Our journey has just started!
The Genomelink Team — Strong Believers in the Power of Genomics
We are a team of passionate entrepreneurs, engineers, scientists, and designers. We come from the Bay Area of California and Tokyo, Japan. The founders have extensive experience in building genetic testing services.
Yuta, our COO, was the Science Manager and founding member of MYCODE, the Japanese version of 23andMe.
Ken, our CTO, was the lead bioinformatician and software engineer at a joint venture between Illumina and Sony.
Carlos Bustamante, from Stanford University, joined as a board observer and Head of Science Advising. Carlos is a legendary population genetics professor and has advised several top-tier consumer genomics companies.
Genomelink graduated from the StartX and Berkeley Skydeck program, a top-tier startup accelerator in the Bay Area. We also spent 6 months with the Illumina Accelerator program in San Francisco. Now, we’re ready to lead the way into the genomic future!
Read more about the team here or try out Genomelink here. We’re currently based in Berkeley, California.
