Where Is The Hot Spot For Genomic Research In Personal Traits ?
Genomelink is working to deliver your personal traits each and every week by comparing your DNA data with results from the most recent research papers.
The number of traits available through your Genomelink “TRAITS” is constantly increasing and currently, there are 180+ traits stored in our database. Additionally, our library is ever-expanding with the latest and greatest published research articles.
We are pleased to hear that most Genomelinkers enjoy learning their results, including such traits as personality, sports and intelligence. You could say that the Genomlink database and library is a gold mine of accomplishments by genetic researchers continuously and enthusiastically exploring new avenues of the human genome and how it impacts various traits.
We thought it might be interesting to look at where some of our research is conducted and what types of traits different regions prioritize. I always try to strike while the iron is hot! To answer the question, I began by classifying the reference papers in the Genomelink library according to the place where the research was performed. Then, I explored whether there are any trends between traits and the location of the research facility or university.
Today, I would like to share the results of the analysis with all of you as some interesting findings came out of the data visualizations of genetic research in the United States. Imagine knowing in which state your favorite traits were studied. The following data just may answer that question! I hope all of you Genomelinkers will enjoy the analysis no matter where you live!!
Please note the analyses here are based on traits in the Genomelink database and corresponding research papers in our library. Our science team is continuously searching for new published papers evaluating genetic links to personal traits. After reading each paper carefully to judge whether or not the findings are important to our users, the genetic findings and corresponding papers are stored in our Genomelink database and library. During our evaluation process, some of the unique and fascinating research is omitted due to a lack of complete information or for technical reasons.
1. The number of traits in each category reported from the US
The total number of traits available through Genomelink is 180+ at the moment, including the following major categories: Food and Nutrition, Personality, Intelligence, Physical traits and Sports with 49, 45, 19, 59, and 11 traits, respectively. The data shows that research in Food and Nutrition is the most popular in the US (see the pie chart below).
2. Comparison of states by number of traits in the US
Then the next question came to my mind: which state has reported the most new findings in human traits? As far as we know, this tends to be an unexplored topic, as no other genetic companies have done this kind of analysis of their own database. Let’s have a look at the map and explore the TOP 5 states that have contributed to the research behind the genetic traits available on Genomelink! The states are listed from 5th to 1st, in order!
#5 Illinois 4 traits
The four traits studied in Illinois include:
Caffeine Metabolite Ratio (2016), Bitter Alcoholic Beverage (2019), Coffee Consumption (2019), and Sugar Beverages Consumption (2019).
Out of the four traits studied by research institutions in Illinois, two are related to coffee, though all four traits are related to Food and Nutrition. It is one of the interesting facts I found!
#4 North Carolina — 5 traits
The five traits studied in North Carolina include:
Smoking-Behavior (2010), Weight (2011), Longevity (2016) Vitamin D (2018),and Pulmonary-Function (2018).
#3 Massachusetts — 13 traits
The thirteen traits studied in Massachusetts are:
Vitamin B12(2008), Caffeine Consumption(2011), Fat-Intake(2013), Calcium(2013), Protein-Intake(2013), Anger(2014), Caffeine Consumption(2015), Asparagus Anosmia(2016), Morning Person(2016), Sleep Duration(2017), Visceral and Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue Ratio(2017), Vitamin D(2018), Neuroticism(2018), Protein-Intake(2019).
As shown above, 13 traits researched in Massachusetts have been used for Genomelink’s database. The first paper from the Old Line State that was used by Genomelink was published in 2008, two years after GWAS emerged. Interestingly, most traits studied in Massachusetts are related to Food and Nutrition, similar to Maryland. The Personality-related trait studied in Massachusetts and available by Genomelink are Neuroticism and Anger. And also genetic associations related to Physical traits have also been studied in Massachusetts.
#2 Maryland — 14 traits
Fourteen traits studied in Maryland are:
Capsaicin Induced Pain(2009), Folate(2009), Beta Carotene(2009), Openness(2010), Agreeableness(2010), Extraversion(2010), Iron(2010), Vitamin A(2011), Vitamin E(2011), Fat intake(2013), Protein-Intake(2013), Egg Allergy(2015), Peanuts Allergy(2015) and Milk Allergy(2015).
The above 14 traits were studied in Maryland, the state with the 2nd highest of traits after California. Since 2009, three years after GWAS emerged, studies into these personal traits have been seen from research institutions in Maryland.
Importantly, the traits for Food and Nutrition have been more extensively studied in Maryland, located on the east coast, compared to states on the west coast of the US (California). Genetic associations related to Personality have also been studied in Maryland.
#1 California — 15 traits
There were fifteen traits that were studied in California. These are:
Skin Pigmentation(2007), Social Rejection(2009), Freckles(2010), Smoking Behavior(2012), Breast Size(2012), Novelty Seeking (2012), Harm Avoidance(2012), Reward Dependence(2012), Motion sickness(2015), Morning person(2016), Hippocampal Volume(2017),Memory Performance(2017), Muscular Strength(2018), Instant Gratification(2018) and Vulnerability to Helicopter Parenting (2018).
Those 15 traits were studied in California, ranked 1st position in the number of traits among all states in the US. As far as we know, these genomic studies in personal traits were first published in 2007, shortly after the genome-wide association study (GWAS) emerged in 2006. The research paper for Skin Pigmentation, published in 2007, is the oldest article used by Genomelink.
These studies from California report on traits related to Food and Nutrition Personality, Intelligence, Physical traits and Sports. They have been used for Genomelink repeatedly.
Have you learned about where your favorite trait comes from? Through this analysis, I learned that we may discover some interesting facts when we look at data from various angles by converting numbers to a map or chart.
If you notice any traits that you may have missed on your profile, please login and visit “TRAITS” at the top of the page.
The entire team here at Genomelink would like to thank you for choosing us to learn more about how your genetics might impact your personal traits. We hope you continue to enjoy the services provided by Genomelink as we continue to grow our research database and library!
Until Next Time! Bye!
