Category Archives: DNA

First at-home DNA test to provide low-cost whole genome sequencing goes on sale

Posted on October 15, 2025 by Gail Dever

 MyHeritage announced yesterday a landmark move to Whole Genome Sequencing for its at-home DNA test, MyHeritage DNA. Leveraging cutting-edge sequencing technology from Ultima Genomics and processing at the Gene by Gene lab, MyHeritage is the first major consumer DNA testing company … Continue reading →

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MyHeritage discontinues DNA uploads from other companies

Posted on August 5, 2025 by Gail Dever

Back in May, we knew it was coming, and now it’s here. MyHeritage will no longer allow users to upload DNA data from other testing companies, such as Ancestry and FamilyTreeDNA. The genealogy company says, “To receive DNA matches and … Continue reading →

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23andMe to be sold to its cofounder and former CEO

Posted on July 2, 2025 by Gail Dever

A US bankruptcy judge on Friday approved the sale of 23andMe to the nonprofit TTAM Research Institute, owned by cofounder and former CEO of 23andMe Anne Wojcicki. The sale will ensure that the DNA of the company’s customers will not be transferred to … Continue reading →

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Ontario’s privacy commissioner issues guardrails for police using investigative genetic genealogy

Posted on June 26, 2025 by Gail Dever

The Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario (IPC) released on Tuesday guardrails for police use of investigative genetic genealogy. This first-in-Canada public resource marks an important step towards proper governance of this new and emerging technology. Investigative genetic genealogy (IGG) is a technique … Continue reading →

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23andMe failed to protect customers’ data, Canadian and UK investigation finds

Posted on June 18, 2025 by Gail Dever

DNA testing company 23andMe did not take adequate safety precautions to protect their customers’ data and ignored warning signs ahead of a massive data breach almost two years ago, according to a joint investigation by privacy commissioners in Canada and … Continue reading →

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Regeneron to acquire 23andMe and comply with privacy policies

Posted on May 20, 2025 by Gail Dever

23andMe yesterday announced that it has entered into an agreement for its sale to Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, a leading US-based biotechnology company that invents, develops and commercializes life-transforming medicines for people with serious diseases. Under the terms of the agreement, Regeneron … Continue reading →

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23andMe’s filing for bankruptcy protection makes users question what to do with their DNA data

Posted on March 25, 2025 by Gail Dever

If you stayed off social media yesterday and didn’t watch or listen to the news, you may have missed the story that genealogists were talking about. Genetic testing firm 23andMe said on Sunday that it had filed for bankruptcy protection … Continue reading →

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Simon Fraser University needs older adults who have found closely related unknown genetic relatives to participate in online survey

Posted on September 20, 2024 by Gail Dever

Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia invites people, aged 55 and older, to complete an online survey for its Family Genealogists and Long-Lost Relatives Study, funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Council of Canada. The study is focused … Continue reading →

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MyHeritage brings its family tree tools to FamilyTreeDNA

Posted on July 19, 2024 by Gail Dever

MyHeritage and FamilyTreeDNA yesterday announced the launch of a new collaboration between the two companies that they introduced in March at RootsTech 2024. This collaboration, which includes integration between the MyHeritage and FamilyTreeDNA websites, enables FamilyTreeDNA customers to transfer their … Continue reading →

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Big change for how some users will see the shared matches tool on AncestryDNA

Posted on June 19, 2024 by Gail Dever

Genetic genealogist Diahan Southard yesterday shared news on social media that there’s a change for how AncestryDNA Pro Tool subscribers can see how their shared matches are related to each other. In addition to subscribers seeing how they’re related to … Continue reading →

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