23andMe has filed for bankruptcy and plans to auction its assets, which include a genetic database containing information from 15 million people. This move raises concerns about the future use of individuals' genetic data and its implications for ongoing scientific research. Experts highlight that while there are fears about new ownership potentially neglecting research collaborations, there is also optimism that a buyer might enhance data accessibility for scientific purposes. This pending sale signals a significant moment for the consumer-genetics field, given the vast data pool that may change hands.
The move to sell the information is prompting fears over how individuals' genetic data might be used under new ownership.
If a future buyer is not interested in research collaborations, it would be a great shame that the potential this data holds for human health advances would not be realized.
As far as I know, this is the most amount of genetic data that is potentially changing hands.
The analysis produces information about ancestry, family traits and potential health risks - and around 80% of customers consented to have their genetic information used for research.
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