A lot of people bite their nails. It’s not that unusual, but researchers looking at the underlying biology for individuals who do it often are learning that frequent nail-biting may point to more serious conditions.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-21024 alignright" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/@PITER-23andMe-ChaoTian-25.jpg" alt="@PITER-23andMe-ChaoTian-25" width="199" height="287" />


For people who frequently bite their nails, the habit is associated with higher chances of having some psychiatric disorders or compulsive behaviors, according to new research by 23andMe senior statistical geneticist Chao Tian. In a short talk at the annual American Society of Human Genetics meeting in Vancouver, Chao presented findings showing   genetic associations with frequent nail-biting as well as other associations with the habit.
Before diving into her findings, it’s important to note again that in most cases nail-biting is not out of the ordinary. In children and teens, it <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3556753/">isn’t associated</a> with any psychiatric disorder. It is more a reflection of boredom, stress or even behavior modeled from parents, according to psychiatrists who study the condition.
The habit is fairly common. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3556753/">Estimates</a> are that about 30 percent of children and 45 percent of teens bite their nails, and as people move into adulthood the percent of people who bite their nails diminishes.
But where there are interesting associations are among those who report that they frequently bite their nails. For those individuals the habit is associated with higher chances of having some psychiatric disorders or compulsive behavior, according to new research by 23andMe senior statistical geneticist Chao Tian.
In her talk at the annual American Society of Human Genetics meeting in Vancouver this week, Chao presented findings showing both genetic associations with frequent nail-biting as well as associations between the habit and certain psychiatric disorders.


For this study, Chao looked at data from 180,000 23andMe customers of European ancestry who consented to research. About 37 percent of whom reported that they bite their nails, with about seven percent of the total saying they did so frequently.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-full wp-image-24474" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Nail-biter-1.jpg" alt="nail-biter" width="147" height="193" />
Chao and other researchers at 23andMe found two dozen genetic associations with nail-biting, known by the medical term onychophagy.
While nibbling on nails during times of stress doesn’t mean one has a psychiatric disorder, among those who report that they frequently bite their nails the picture changes a bit.
Data shows that frequent nail biters are more likely to have certain disorders and habits such as depression, anxiety, and trichotillomania, the scientific name for the urge to pull out one’s own hair.
What’s also interesting is that the function of some of the genes in which nail biting associations were found point to links with things like nail structure, BMI, taste perception and neuronal regulation in the brain, Chao said.


What’s important to note here is that most cases of nail biting among children and teens isn’t associated with any psychiatric disorder, but rather a sign of boredom, stress or even behavior modeled from parents. About 30 percent of children and 45 percent of teens bite their nails. Nail-biting tends to diminish as people move into adulthood.
In this study, Chao also looked other characteristics like conscientiousness, openness, neuroticism, agreeableness and perceived stress, and found that those people who reported biting their nails often were also more likely to be neurotic and stressed. On the other hand, her research showed that people who didn’t bite their nails were more likely to be conscientious.


In and of itself this study is interesting, but it also illustrates the power of collecting large amounts of phenotypic data with genotypic data to study the underlying biology of many different kinds of conditions.

23andMe Blog

23andMe Blog Team

A Real Nail Biter

Attending the annual American Society of Human Genetics meeting in Vancouver next week?<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-6586" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/23andMe_Logo_blog-200x200.jpg" alt="23andMe_Logo_blog" width="200" height="200" />
We&#8217;d love to hear from you! Attend our talks, come by our posters, and find us at our booth.
The 23andMe research team has a full slate of presentations and posters at ASHG this year.


Wednesday, Oct 19

TALK 
11:30am &#8211; 12:00pm


From GWAS and Mendelian Genes to Therapeutic Drug Targets

Richard Scheller, 23andMe Chief Science Officer and Head of <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-full wp-image-24403" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/richard-small.jpg" alt="richard-small" width="100" height="94" />Therapeutics 
The Therapeutics group at 23andMe is using human genetic data as the starting point for identifying new therapies for both common and rare diseases.

Session 20.
From GWAS and Mendelian Genes to Therapeutic Drug Targets 
Ballroom B, West Building, Convention Centre


POSTERS 
3 pm &#8211; 4 pm


<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-full wp-image-24402" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Karl-small.jpg" alt="karl-small" width="100" height="94" />

Karl Heilbron, 23andMe Post-doctoral Computational Biologist

Poster #: PgmNr 406

Convention Centre, Exhibit Hall B, West Building
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-full wp-image-24401" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/RobertB-1.jpg" alt="robertb-1" width="100" height="99" />

Robert Bell, 23andMe Bioinformaticist

Poster #: PgmNr 430

Convention Centre, Exhibit Hall B, West Building


<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-full wp-image-24404" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Aaron-Small.jpg" alt="aaron-small" width="100" height="97" />

Aaron Kleinman, 23andMe Senior Computational Biologist

Poster #: PgmNr 496

Convention Centre, Exhibit Hall B, West Building


<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-full wp-image-24440" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Nick-Small.jpg" alt="nick-small" width="100" height="83" />

Nicholas Furlotte, 23andMe Statistical Geneticist

Poster #: PgmNr 514

Convention Centre, Exhibit Hall B, West Building


Thursday, Oct 20 
EDUCATIONAL SEMINAR (registration required) 
1pm — 2:30pm


New Models in Genotyping: Incentivizing Recruitment, Engaging Participants and Accelerating Research Results

Location: Ballroom B, East Building, Convention Centre


Program includes:<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-full wp-image-24437" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Joyce-Small.jpg" alt="joyce-small" width="100" height="82" /> 
How the consumerization of genomics benefits research

Joyce Tung, 23andMe VP of R&amp;D


Reimagining genetic studies: Genotyping Services for Research

Robert Borkowski, 23andMe Product Manager<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-full wp-image-24438" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/RobertB-small.jpg" alt="robertb-small" width="100" height="88" />


POSTERS 
2 pm &#8211; 3 pm
&nbsp;

<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-full wp-image-24439" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Olga-Small.jpg" alt="olga-small" width="100" height="89" />

Olga Sazonova, Computational Biologist

Poster #: PgmNr 1409 
Convention Centre,
Exhibit Hall B, West Building
3 pm &#8211; 4 pm

<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-full wp-image-24436" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Janie-Small-1.jpg" alt="janie-small" width="100" height="109" />

Janie Shelton, 23andMe Survey Methodologist

Poster #: PgmNr 350 
Convention Centre, Exhibit Hall B, West Building

&nbsp;

<a href="https://ep70.eventpilot.us/web/page.php?page=Speaker&#038;project=ASHG16&#038;id=341749">The impact of personal experience with direct ­-to- ­consumer genetic testing on physician readiness</a>

Erynn Gordon, 23andMe Director of Clinical Development<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-full wp-image-24441" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Erynn2-small.jpg" alt="erynn2-small" width="100" height="89" />

Poster #: PgmNr 3098

Convention Centre, Exhibit Hall B, West Building


Friday, Oct 21


POSTERS 
2 pm &#8211; 3 pm
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-full wp-image-24400" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Mike-Small.jpg" alt="mike-small" width="100" height="102" />

Michael Multhaup, 23andMe Product Scientist

Poster #: PgmNr 477

Convention Centre, Exhibit Hall B, West Building


<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-full wp-image-24399" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Fah-small.jpg" alt="fah-small" width="93" height="99" />

Fah Sathirapongsasuti, 23andMe Computational Biologist

Poster #: PgmNr 1719

Convention Centre, Exhibit Hall B, West Building


Saturday, Oct 22
TALK 
9:15am &#8211; 9:30am

<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-full wp-image-24398" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/chao-small.jpg" alt="chao-small" width="100" height="121" />

Chao Tian, 23andMe Senior Statistical Geneticist

PgmNr 276 
Session 78.
Neuropsychiatric Diseases of the Young and Old 
Room 221, West Building, Convention Centre
You can also find us at our marketing booth #211.


<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-research/23andme-scientists-to-present-new-findings/">Read more</a> about our scientific presence at ASHG.

Find Us At ASHG

A set of national genetic science standards for elementary through high school students in the United States offers a <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-2073" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/studentdna-300x199.jpg" alt="studentdna" width="300" height="199" />modest improvement over state-based standards, but still falls short of conveying some key genetic concepts, according to a <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0132742">new study</a> by science educators with the <a href="http://www.ashg.org/press/201507-NGSS.html">American Society of Human Genetics</a>.


The analysis is part of a multi-year effort to improve genetic literacy in the U.S. Several surveys have found large gaps in the general public&#8217;s understanding of some core genetic concepts such as patterns of inheritance, the genetic basis of evolution, and genetic variation.
A survey done in 2013 by 23andMe found that while more than 80 percent of people expressed interest in genetic testing, many did not understand some basic facts about genetics. Genomic science is already changing healthcare, making it that much more important for individuals to have at least a basic grasp of the science.
23andMe launched its academic program, in part, to offer educators more resources to teach genomics, while 23andMe’s popular Genetics 101 video series has been a mainstay for anyone wanting to learn more about the science. But much more is needed to bridge the gap in genetic literacy in the US.
The ASHG study looked at how effective the new national science standards were at addressing key concepts in genetics. The standards were developed in 2013 by the nonprofit organization Achieve, Inc., along with officials in 26 partner states, and were incorporated into existing National Science Education Standards. So far 13 states have adopted the national standards.
The study compared those standards to separate science standards that have been adopted in different states, and they looked at whether these different standards adequately covered 19 core genetic concepts that the American Society of Human Genetics identified as key for students to grasp. While the national standards seemed to offer some improvement, many of the 19 core concepts were inadequately covered or not cover at all, according to the report.
“The NGSS are the first comprehensive science standards recommendations issued in nearly 20 years, and to the extent that states adopt them, the effects on <a href="http://ashg.org/press/201404-GeneticsEd.html">public genetic literacy</a> could be far-reaching,” <a href="http://www.ashg.org/press/201507-NGSS.html">said Michael Dougherty</a>, PhD, Director of Education of ASHG, who led the study.
Comparing each state standards with the national standard, the study found that the national standards addressed genetics core concepts considerably better in 15 states, about equally well in 28 states, and not as well in 7 states.


While the national standards were deemed to offer a modest improvement, reviewers who were involved in the study did not offer high praise for how well the key genetic concepts were addressed by the standards.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class=" wp-image-22700 size-large aligncenter" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Academic-page-640x237.jpg" alt="Academic page" width="640" height="237" />

Efforts to Improve Genetic Literacy

Grab a tissue for this. Your genes may make you more prone to cry, and if you cry easily you are at higher odds to have been diagnosed with depression, anxiety or bipolar disorder.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/GeneticsOfCryingInfographic_030615-352x768.jpg" alt="GeneticsOfCryingInfographic_030615" class="alignright size-large wp-image-22302" width="352" height="768" />
Looking at data from 200,000 customers who consented to participate in research, 23andMe scientists found a dozen genetic variants associated with whether a person cries easily.
<h6>Emotional Response</h6>
Crying is an emotional response that makes humans unique from other primates. Some would argue it’s what <a href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-humans-like-to-cry/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">makes us human</a>.
But in 23andMe’s study, researchers wanted to look more deeply into the emotional response. They wanted to know whether there were genetic reasons for some of us crying more easily than others.
Some of the research findings were presented last year at the <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-research/23andmes-research-at-ashg-2014/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">American Society of Human Genetics</a> annual conference. But this study includes both genetic and non-genetic associations. For instance, the study found that boys do cry, but just not as much as girls. According to the research women are three times more likely to “cry easily” when compared to men. Both men and women are more prone to cry as they age. That is especially true if one of their parents was more likely to cry easily.
<h6>Brain Development</h6>
Beyond those findings, the study offered some interesting avenues for future study. The variants identified were found in or near genes involved with brain development (IRX2 and ZNF423) , hormone synthesis (HSD17B12) and certain mood disorders (6q16.1). This could help researchers studying affective disorders, among other things.
23andMe offers its customers the opportunity to participate in research if they want. They can also opt out of research at any time. We are thankful to our customers who participated, making this and other studies like it possible.
Learn more about participating in research, or opting out of it, here.

Too Many Teardrops

From studies that explain how 23andMe’s massive database can accelerate the targeting and development of disease-fighting drugs, to DNA research which <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-6586" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/23andMe_Logo_blog-300x300.jpg" alt="23andMe_Logo_blog" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/23andMe_Logo_blog-300x300.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/23andMe_Logo_blog-150x150.jpg 150w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/23andMe_Logo_blog-271x271.jpg 271w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/23andMe_Logo_blog.jpg 350w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />uncovers the legacy of dynamic mixing in the New World over the last 500 years, 23andMe will again put its best science forward at the annual meeting of the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG). (If you&#8217;re at the conference come by our booth, #1905.)
<h6>San Diego Bound</h6>
This year’s gathering will be in San Diego, and it’s expected to attract more than 6,500 scientists over four days in October.
The annual event brings together the best and brightest minds in human genetics, and gives them a chance to share the latest research and findings. This year 23andMe will present more than a dozen abstracts on a wide variety of topics and participate in two platform discussions. You can search all abstracts being presented at the meeting by going here.
<h6>23andMe Presentations</h6>
Along with findings related to drug development and genetic ancestry, 23andMe researchers are also presenting abstracts on wide variety of topics.
Among those are a series of studies that look at different human traits, their possible relation to certain health conditions as well as the dynamics of shared traits between parents and their children.
One of 23andMe’s abstracts looks at the genetics associated with being a ‘morning person’ and how that might be related to depression and weight. Another abstract looks at why some individuals are more prone to cry than others and whether genes that are associated with crying are also likely to be involved in brain development. Our scientists have also found genetic associations for varicose veins, which point to genes that are involved in circulatory development. Beyond how those traits may be related to health conditions, our researchers have also explored traits parents share with their children, finding that while for almost no trait did we see parents and children more likely to be dissimilar than similar, we did find that, mothers’ traits were more strongly correlated to their daughters, than the father’s traits were associated with their daughters.
<h6>Research Data</h6>
23andMe’s scientists will also be presenting on how researchers are able to use 23andMe’s database to make genetic discoveries. In addition we have another abstract that looks at a way our scientists have improved a long-used method for detecting shared DNA segments that researchers use to study everything from whether two people are related, to human demography – the characteristics of a population that might include its size, composition and distribution – and even the heritability of disease.
The work being presented at ASHG is part of 23andMe’s larger research mission. In the last three years, 23andMe scientists have published papers in peer-reviewed scientific journals and dozens of other findings that continue to push our understanding of genetics.
Here is a list of 23andMe abstracts as well as abstract for which we collaborated with others:
<table style="background-color: #ffffcc; border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid #FFCC00; color: #000000; width: 100%;" cellspacing="3" cellpadding="3" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>&#8211; Like Mother, Like Daughter: Analysis of Parent-Child Phenotypic Correlations for Hundreds of Medical and Behavioral Traits 
Author(s): E. Pierson, D. Hinds, A. Kleinman, N. Eriksson</td>
<td>&#8211; Genes Involved in Brain Development Influence Crying Habits -A Genome Wide Association Study 
Author(s): C. Tian, C. Y. McLean, E. Y. Durand, N. Eriksson, J. Y. Tung, D. A. Hinds</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>&#8211; Adopting Genomes &#8211; Motivations of Adopted Persons when seeking Personal Genomic Services 
Author(s): N. M. Baptista, D. A. Carere, J. R. Duggan, T. A. Moreno, J. L. Mountain, S. A. Broadley, J. S. Roberts, R. C. Green, and the PGen Study Group</td>
<td>&#8211; The genetic ancestry of African, Latino, and European Americans across the United States 
Author(s): K. Bryc, E. Durand, D. Reich, J. Mountain</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>&#8211; Shared genetic background between chronic gastroesophageal reflux and Barrett’s esophagus and esophageal adenocarcinoma, consistent with a causal relationship 
Author(s): P. Gharahkhani, J. Tung, T. L. Vaughan, D. C. Whiteman, S. MacGregor, Barrett’s and Esophageal Adenocarcinoma Consortium</td>
<td>&#8211; A Large Scale Genome Wide Association Study of Varicose Veins in the 23andMe Cohort 
Author(s): R. K. Bell, E. Y. Durand, C. Y. McLean, N. Eriksson, J. Y. Tung, D. A. Hinds</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>&#8211; Reducing pervasive false positive identical-by-descent segments detected by large-scale pedigree analysis 
Author(s): E. Y. Durand, N. Eriksson, C. Y. McLean</td>
<td>&#8211; GWAS of 89,283 individuals identifies genetic variants associated with being a morning person 
Author(s): Y. Hu, A. Shmygelska, D. Tran, N. Eriksson, J. Tung, D. Hinds</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>&#8211; Accelerating Drug Development with 23andMe Phenome-Wide Association Studies 
Author(s): F. Sathirapongsasuti, B. T. Naughton, J. L. Mountain, D. A. Hinds, J. Y. Tung, C. Y. McLean</td>
<td>&#8211; Genetic discovery in the 23andMe participant cohort 
Author(s): D. A. Hinds, C. A. M. Northover, M. H. McIntyre, C. Wilson, K. E. Huber, A. Kleinman, F. Sathirapongsasuti, R. K. Bell, E. Pierson, K. Bryc, A. S. Shmygelska, N. A. Furlotte, Y. Hu, C. Tian, E. Y. Durand, C. Y. McLean, B. Naughton, J. L. Mountain, N. Eriksson, J. Y. Tung</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>&#8211; Genome-wide Mega-Analysis on Myopia and Refractive Error in CREAM and 23andMe 
Author(s): V. J. M. Verhoeven, R. Wojciechowski, P. G. Hysi, Q. Fan, A. K. Kiefer, N. Eriksson, C. J. Hammond, N. A. Furlotte, C. C. W. Klaver, Consortium for Refractive Error and Myopia (CREAM)</td>
<td>&#8211; Risk prediction and Type II Diabetes 
Author(s): N. Furlotte, S. Dandekar, R. Smith, N. Eriksson, D. Hinds</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>&#8211; A trans-ethnic genome-wide association study of 21,483 cases and 97,977 controls identifies 27 genetic susceptibility variants for atopic dermatitis 
Author(s): L. Paternoster, M. Standl, H. Baurecht, J. Waage, M. Hotze, J. A. Curtin, K. BÃ¸nnelykke, D. Glass, D. A. Hinds, E. Melen, P. Sleiman, B. Feenstra, M. Pino-Yanes, H. T. den Dekker, M. Bustamante, I. Marenholz, B. Jacobsson, A. D. Irvine, A. C. Alves, M. M. Groen-Blokhuis, A. Franke, M. Ferreira, M. Tamari, N. Probst-Hensch, K. Williams, D. P. Strachan, S. J. Brown, J. Heinrich, D. M. Evans, S. Weidinger on behalf of the EAGLE Eczema Consortium</td>
<td></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

Science On the Beach

Ed note: This post has been slightly changed since it first went up. We&#8217;ve also added in links to the posters that were presented at the conference. They are listed at the bottom of this post.
At this year’s American Society of Human Genetics meeting in Boston, a team of 23andMe scientists presented findings ranging from genetic associations of immune response and asthma, to a study looking at the genetics behind opioid-induced vomiting.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-19557 size-full alignright" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/researchers.jpg" alt="" width="430" height="946" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/researchers.jpg 430w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/researchers-136x300.jpg 136w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/researchers-400x880.jpg 400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 430px) 100vw, 430px" />
David Hinds, a Principal Scientist here, spoke about the study, filling in for 23andMe&#8217;s Senior Director of Research, Joanna L. Mountain. Unlike many other pharmacogenetic studies that focus on very small cohorts, this study included more than 2,400 individuals who reported that the opioid codeine triggered vomiting.
The study had about 10,000 controls, or individuals who reported no problems taking the pain medication. Beyond the relative robustness of the study, the research is also significant in that it looked at the genetics behind moderate side effects to a prescription drug.
Rarely done in pharmacogenetic studies, moderate side effects still play a huge role in the relative effectiveness of medication because they impact whether people actually use the drug as prescribed. Nick Eriksson, a Principal Scientist at 23andMe, also spoke at the conference. Nick described how 23andMe uses correlated phenotypes to functionally classify different genetic associations. On occasion, a single genetic variant will be associated with multiple different phenotypes.
For example, this occurs in autoimmune diseases, where a single SNP influences multiple different diseases. Sometimes these shared associations are more surprising, such as the genetic association shared by both <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/health-traits/23andmes-latest-publication-shines-light-on-male-pattern-baldness-and-unexpected-associations-with-disease/">Parkinson’s disease and baldness</a>. By leveraging the huge range of phenotypes that 23andMe customers have reported, we can search for other surprising shared associations and use those to cluster SNPs in functional categories. This in turn can give insight into the function of disease associated genetic variants. Using this method, we looked at correlations between breast cancer and breast size, body mass index and food choice, and hair color and skin cancer.
Our scientists also presented findings related to genetic associations with different immune responses, associations found in a very large study of genetics behind asthma, the associations with susceptibility to infectious disease, as well as genetic associations for uterine fibroids.
Also on hand at the conference was 23andMe’s Senior Medical Director,<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/news/23andmes-uta-francke-lauded-by-ashg/"> Uta Francke, MD</a>, who spoke at the conference about online genetic education and counseling. Below the links to the posters presented at ASHG:
• <a href="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/GWAS-Uterine-Fibroids.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">GWAS Analysis in a 23andMe Cohort Identifies Novel Associations with Uterine Fibroids</a>, a poster presented by Alena Shmygelska
• <a href="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/GWAS-for-Susceptibility-to-Infection.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">GWAS Identifies Classical HLA Alleles Associated with Susceptibility to Infectious Diseases</a>, a poster presented by Chao Tian
• <a href="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/ASHG2013asthma_final1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">A Large Scale GWAS of Asthma in the 23andMe Cohort,</a> a poster presented by Dave Hinds
• <a href="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/ASHG2013poster-jyt-final.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">GWAS of Diverse Immune-Related Phenotypes Highlights Complex Overlapping Pathways of Immune Response</a>, a poster presented by Joyce Tung

23andMe At ASHG

The<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-19548" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/erase-fear-300x199.jpg" alt="erase fear" width="300" height="199" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/erase-fear-300x199.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/erase-fear.jpg 425w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
In addition, the study,<a href="http://www.stsiweb.org/index.php/about/bio/bloss"> by Cinnamon Bloss, Ph.D.,</a> found that the test didn’t result in increased anxiety in participants.
Scripps has been studying consumer reactions to genetic testing for a couple of years now, and the results from this study follow up on more preliminary<a href="http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1011893"> studies</a> that showed similar results.
Last year, Bloss presented some of her data at the conference of the<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-research/data-on-personal-genetics-at-ashg/"> American Society of Human Genetics in San Francisco</a>.
Since direct-to-consumer genetic testing became available, there has been criticism that the tests would trigger undue anxiety among participants. Studies have not found this to be the case, however.
<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-research/few-worry-about-genetic-testing/">We&#8217;ve written</a> before about some of the work Bloss and her team have already done. These and other studies provide real data showing the value for consumers of this kind of information when applied to their own health. In fact, nearly all participants found the information to be useful. And those who learned they had an increased genetic risk for certain conditions often worked with their doctors to take preventative actions to mitigate those risks.

Useful Genetics

<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-17038 size-full" title="Mike &amp; Eric" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Mike-Eric.jpg" alt="" width="1721" height="1190" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Mike-Eric.jpg 1721w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Mike-Eric-300x207.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Mike-Eric-768x531.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Mike-Eric-1024x708.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Mike-Eric-880x608.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Mike-Eric-1180x816.jpg 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1721px) 100vw, 1721px" />Mike and Eric
Our team rolled out a new feature called<a href="https://www.23andme.com/about/press/ancestry_composition_2012"> Ancestry Composition</a> last week that will tell you more about what you’re made of, or more precisely, the geographic origins of your DNA.
Principal Product Scientist Mike Macpherson, former Research Scientist Chuong “Tom” Do, and Computational Biologist Eric Durand led the team that spent many months developing an innovative and accurate tool to determine your ancestry going as far back as 500 years.
One of the stunning aspects of Ancestry Composition is that it&#8217;s based on the newest advances in machine learning and thus will get better over time.
“Ancestry Composition is truly innovative. Not only does it use public-genetic databases for reference, it also uses the data set from 23andMe, so as more people join 23andMe, the more powerful and more accurate Ancestry Composition will become,” Mike said.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-17039 size-full" title="European and Native American Ancestry" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Native-American.jpg" alt="" width="807" height="468" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Native-American.jpg 807w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Native-American-300x174.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Native-American-768x445.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 807px) 100vw, 807px" />
The feature can very accurately detail the mosaic of your ancestral background, distinguishing British and Irish ancestry, for instance, or telling you the breakdown of your Scandinavian or Italian ancestral origins. It’s also a powerful tool for finding Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry.
Right now, Ancestry Composition is particularly interesting for people of mixed ancestry: individuals who have Native American, Latino, African American or mixed European heritage.
It’s a great tool already and promises to keep getting better.
An update is planned in the near future to add more detail for people with African and Asian ancestry.
This will give a finer level of detail and help customers zero in on the regions of their ancestral origins.
But the feature can be enlightening for people of any background offering a view of an individual’s genetic ancestry, breaking down the mix of ancestry by percentage and putting it all into an intuitive visualization.
There are several other bells and whistles for those who want to dive in and find a few fun surprises.
One of those is the Split View, which gives great detail for customers who have at least one parent also in the 23andMe community. If at least one parent has been tested and is linked through the Family Tree feature, Ancestry Composition’s Split View will tell you what mix of your ancestry comes from your mother and <a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-ancestry/">what mix of your ancestry</a> comes from your father.
Another add-on to the feature is a Chromosome View, which “paints” the ancestry on each of your 23 chromosomes.
If you’d like to see more detail on how this has done you can look both at a<a href="https://www.23andme.com/ancestry_composition_guide/"> white paper</a> put together by Mike or a recent<a href="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/20121027_ancestry_painting_methods_poster.pdf"> poster presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Human Genetics</a>, which outlines the technique.
The new feature replaces 23andMe’s “ancestry painting” and “global similarity,” two tools that were equally pioneering when they were first introduced.
But with Ancestry Composition 23andMe breaks new ground and sets a new standard for determining genetic ancestry.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-17041 size-full" title="split view" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/split-view.jpg" alt="" width="1744" height="911" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/split-view.jpg 1744w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/split-view-300x157.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/split-view-768x401.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/split-view-1024x535.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/split-view-880x460.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/split-view-1180x616.jpg 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1744px) 100vw, 1744px" />

23andMe’s Newest Feature Explores Your Ancestry

<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-full wp-image-16492" title="blogger-emily" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/blogger-emily.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="200">
23andMe’s genetic health reports cover 191 rare genetic mutations in addition to more common variants related to disease. While it’s relatively easy to learn about common variants, our knowledge of rare mutations traditionally has come from very small studies limited to specific populations, like French Canadians living in Quebec or people with Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry. 23andMe’s 180,000+ customers, however, provide a unique opportunity to learn about these mutations in a more general population.
Within a large group of 23andMe customers who have consented to participate in research, we see that most of these mutations are indeed most common in the populations that have already been studied, but some are showing up in people whose ancestries have not been linked to that mutation before. &nbsp;I presented data about these mutations in a poster at the annual meeting of the <a href="http://www.ashg.org/">American Society of Human Genetics</a> (ASHG) last week in San Francisco.
Why might these mutations appear in people with ancestries other than those that have been studied? Perhaps our definitions of ancestry aren’t thorough enough and these people do actually have some of the expected ancestry. &nbsp;But it’s also possible that some mutations are present in these other populations and this is simply the first time researchers have documented it.
This second possibility has far-reaching implications. &nbsp;Couples planning to have children are often screened for genetic mutations that could cause inherited diseases in their children. Typically, they are screened for specific mutations thought to be most common in their ancestral group. Our data shows that many mutations can occur in people outside those ancestral groups. Add to that the fact that many people might not know all the details of their ancestry and the argument for broader screening becomes stronger.
Although it is clear that more research is needed, these observations may be an important first step towards better understanding who may be affected by rare genetic mutations.

ASHG — Page 2