“Co-op” Lets Users Barter DNA and Health Information for Shares

LunaDNA receives Securities and Exchange Commission approval to treat the data as currency.

| 2 min read
DNA strands on a blue background

Register for free to listen to this article
Listen with Speechify
0:00
2:00
Share

ABOVE: PIXABAY, GERALT

LunaDNA, a startup that enables individuals to opt in to a database of genetic and health information in exchange for shares in the company—and, perhaps, eventual dividends—has received approval from the US Securities and Exchange Commission and is now open for business, the company announced on Wednesday (December 5). LunaDNA plans to begin enabling researchers to conduct studies on the resulting aggregated, anonymized data late next year in exchange for payments, which would trickle back to those who contributed in the form of dividends.

The company is one of a handful of startups that aim to compensate individuals for sharing their information for research, and to give them some control over how that information is used. But these companies typically look to employ blockchain-based platforms to enable users to choose which research projects to participate in, and receive payments in return.

In contrast to this model, LunaDNA ...

Interested in reading more?

Become a Member of

The Scientist Logo
Receive full access to more than 35 years of archives, as well as TS Digest, digital editions of The Scientist, feature stories, and much more!
Already a member? Login Here

Keywords

Meet the Author

  • Shawna Williams

    Shawna was an editor at The Scientist from 2017 through 2022. She holds a bachelor's degree in biochemistry from Colorado College and a graduate certificate and science communication from the University of California, Santa Cruz.
Share
3D illustration of a gold lipid nanoparticle with pink nucleic acid inside of it. Purple and teal spikes stick out from the lipid bilayer representing polyethylene glycol.
February 2025, Issue 1

A Nanoparticle Delivery System for Gene Therapy

A reimagined lipid vehicle for nucleic acids could overcome the limitations of current vectors.

View this Issue
Considerations for Cell-Based Assays in Immuno-Oncology Research

Considerations for Cell-Based Assays in Immuno-Oncology Research

Lonza
An illustration of animal and tree silhouettes.

From Water Bears to Grizzly Bears: Unusual Animal Models

Taconic Biosciences
Sex Differences in Neurological Research

Sex Differences in Neurological Research

bit.bio logo
New Frontiers in Vaccine Development

New Frontiers in Vaccine Development

Sino

Products

Tecan Logo

Tecan introduces Veya: bringing digital, scalable automation to labs worldwide

Explore a Concise Guide to Optimizing Viral Transduction

A Visual Guide to Lentiviral Gene Delivery

Takara Bio
Inventia Life Science

Inventia Life Science Launches RASTRUM™ Allegro to Revolutionize High-Throughput 3D Cell Culture for Drug Discovery and Disease Research

An illustration of differently shaped viruses.

Detecting Novel Viruses Using a Comprehensive Enrichment Panel

Twist Bio