3 ms·

That's interesting. I just assumed that they would, since DNA is pretty stable once extracted and storing nano or micro liters of materials, even at -80C, shoul

That's interesting. I just assumed that they would, since DNA is pretty stable once extracted and storing nano or micro liters of materials, even at -80C, shouldn't be too expensive considering the upside.

epistasis 13y ago
They require a good amount of spit, in order to ensure that they get enough DNA from each sample. It's quite likely that they're not left with much afterwards, and for many of their samples there may be nothing left at all. Banking the DNA is a whole other hassle. Banking the 500,000 samples that they've done so far would require quite a bit of freezer space. Also, based on their recent statements, it seems that 23andMe doesn't actually do any of the lab work, they contract out to a lab partner. Based on the amount of capital they've raised, I would have assumed that they did everything in house. Anybody know more about this?
- timr 13y ago
  "Banking the 500,000 samples that they've done so far would require quite a bit of freezer space." Maybe one or two -70 freezers full of eppendorf tubes. It's not a significant cost.
  - epistasis 13y ago
    I'd never calculated the density of eppendorf tubes before, but it looks like they would fit in 3 cubic meters. Needless to say the freezers I've used have not been nearly that well packed.
- xyzzy123 13y ago
  My understanding was that the reason they require "a good amount of spit" was actually so that you couldn't steal someone else's saliva and submit it for testing.
berberous 13y ago
I'm 98% sure that when I signed up it was presented as a choice: "Do you want us to bank your DNA for free?". I signed up after they changed SNP arrays (I think it was v2 -> v3 that the above poster is referencing offered upgraded reporting). I'm not sure if the banking was only implemented post v3, or if they had some other reason to re-collect spit despite having some DNA banked.

epistasis 13y ago

They require a good amount of spit, in order to ensure that they get enough DNA from each sample. It's quite likely that they're not left with much afterwards, and for many of their samples there may be nothing left at all. Banking the DNA is a whole other hassle. Banking the 500,000 samples that they've done so far would require quite a bit of freezer space. Also, based on their recent statements, it seems that 23andMe doesn't actually do any of the lab work, they contract out to a lab partner. Based on the amount of capital they've raised, I would have assumed that they did everything in house. Anybody know more about this?

timr 13y ago
"Banking the 500,000 samples that they've done so far would require quite a bit of freezer space." Maybe one or two -70 freezers full of eppendorf tubes. It's not a significant cost.
- epistasis 13y ago
  I'd never calculated the density of eppendorf tubes before, but it looks like they would fit in 3 cubic meters. Needless to say the freezers I've used have not been nearly that well packed.
xyzzy123 13y ago
My understanding was that the reason they require "a good amount of spit" was actually so that you couldn't steal someone else's saliva and submit it for testing.

berberous 13y ago

I'm 98% sure that when I signed up it was presented as a choice: "Do you want us to bank your DNA for free?". I signed up after they changed SNP arrays (I think it was v2 -> v3 that the above poster is referencing offered upgraded reporting). I'm not sure if the banking was only implemented post v3, or if they had some other reason to re-collect spit despite having some DNA banked.