All reasons 2018 was a breakthrough year for DNA data

Genetic IQ tests. DNA detective work. Virtual drug trials. These were some of the surprising new applications of DNA information that emerged in the last 12 months as genetic studies grew larger than ever before.

Think back to 2003. We had just decoded the first human genome, and scientists were still spending their time looking for very specific gene errors that cause quite serious hereditary problems, such as muscular dystrophy. Now we have to deal with information about millions. And the gene hunt is not only bigger – they are fundamentally different. They begin to detect the genetic roots of common diseases and personality traits and make genetic privacy virtually impossible.

These are the trends that you need to know from MIT Technology Review’s own coverage in the past year.

Consumers: It’s all about genetic data. Now it is collected on millions of people, also in national and commercial efforts.

Last February we reported that 12 million people had already taken DNA tests for consumers. Since that figure has reliably doubled every year, it is now probably up to 25 million. In fact, DNA reports are now a massively attractive item. During the Thanksgiving weekend, the GeneryDNA gene test, which tells people where their ancestors come from, was among the best-selling items.

Big data: To understand the genome, scientists say, they need to study as many people as possible at the same time. In 2018, several gene hunts broke the million-person mark for the first time. These include searches for the genetic basis of insomnia and educational success. To do this, researchers attracted national biobanks and also received help from 23andMe, the popular gene testing company, whose users can sign up to participate in research.

Polygene scores: Some diseases are due to a single gene that goes wrong. But big killers like heart disease are not like that – instead they are influenced by hundreds of genetic factors. That was why a new way to predict risks from a person’s entire genome was the most important story of the year (see polygenic scores on our list of 10 Breakthrough technologies). The new scores can hamper a person’s chances for breast cancer, at school or even long enough for the NBA. Keep an eye on gene testing companies like 23andMe and Color Genomics in 2019 to see if they are commercially launching such gene predictions.

Genetic IQ tests: Genes have no influence on what we look like, but on who we are. Now some scientists say that the same DNA scores can offer a decent guess as to how smart a child will be later in life. The unanswered question: how should we use this information or not at all?

Testing of embryos: Yes, it will probably be exactly like that science fiction film Gattaca, about a world where parents take their children from a petri dish. IVF centers are already conducting gene tests and allowing parents to choose embryos to prevent certain serious disease risks. Now, Genomic Prediction, a New Jersey company that we handled exclusively in 2017, says it’s ready to test embryos to assess their future educational potential. So forget about CRISPR babies – designer kids are already there.

Prejudices based on skin color: Here’s something that isn’t that great: about 80% of the DNA ever analyzed is from white people of European descent. It means that some new discoveries and commercial tests only work for whites and do not apply to Africans, Asians, Latinos or other ancestor groups whose genetic patterns differ. There are good scientific reasons for expanding the gene hunt, says Stanford University geneticist Carlos D. Bustamante. We may miss health breakthroughs by looking too closely.

Simulation of clinical trials: Did you know that you are part of a gigantic, random experiment? It’s true. Or at least some geneticists see you this way. And now they have come up with a very clever trick called Mendelian randomization, which uses medical information from people to predict which new drugs will work for them and which won’t.

Crime fighters: The more DNA data there is, the easier it is to find out who owns a drop of blood or a hair follicle. That is what the Golden State Killer learned in April when he was caught by snoopers with an informal collection of DNA profiles and genealogical trees. In fact, the way mathematics works is genetic anonymity kaput – sine almost all already have a family member in a DNA database. A genetic genealogist, CeCe Moore, told us that since April she has identified 27 murderers and rapists. A very good year.