Genes and Blues

Learning about your own genetic idiosyncrasies comes with complex emotions.

Written byBob Grant

| 3 min read

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Earlier this year, I ordered a genetic sampling kit from a website, rubbed a cotton swab vigorously on the inner surface of my cheek, sealed and returned my biological sample via the US Postal Service, and some weeks later, received information about the DNA that sits inside my cells. In doing so, I joined the ranks of millions of people—more than 12 million as of the end of 2017—who’ve explored their own genetic blueprints in similar fashion.

So what did I learn from dipping my toes into the bustling direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetics market? The cocktail party talking points are too numerous to list, but here’s a taste: I’m 0.9 percent Ashkenazi Jewish, devoid of two of the genetic variants associated with celiac disease, likely to wake up around 8:02 AM (strike one, DTC genetics company), and unlikely to have a bald spot (strike two).

Even if the results are not ...

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Meet the Author

Bob Grant
From 2017 to 2022, Bob Grant was Editor in Chief of The Scientist, where he started in 2007 as a Staff Writer. Before joining the team, he worked as a reporter at Audubon and earned a master’s degree in science journalism from New York University. In his previous life, he pursued a career in science, getting a bachelor’s degree in wildlife biology from Montana State University and a master’s degree in marine biology from the College of Charleston in South Carolina. Bob edited Reading Frames and other sections of the magazine.
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