Eugene Consulting Inc.
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Aug/Sep Report
http://fortune.com/2018/09/28/spotify-to-use-your-dna-for-playlists/
https://consequenceofsound.net/2018/09/spotify-ancestry-playlists/
https://www.spin.com/2018/09/ancestry-dna-genetic-data-spotify-playlist-partnership/
The music streaming service, Spotify has announced that they will be partnering with genealogy
company, Ancestry to personalize the playlist of subscribers based on their DNA. Oncesubscribers buy the genealogy DNA test kit for around $100, Spotify will curate a playlistreflecting the cultural music of the user’s heritage. Since the two companies collaborated andlaunched this new service on Sep. 21 of 2018, over 10,000 people have signed up. While thecompanies state that user’s DNA results are not being stored, the terms and services of Ancestry
requires that users give up partial rights on how the company uses their DNA.
Link to Ancestry DNA’s website: https://ancestrydnaplaylist.withspotify.com/1584986

https://medicalfuturist.com/top-companies-genomics
Since the Human Genome Project that began in 1990, people’s fascination of the human genome
has grown. Below is a list of the most successful genomics companies:1) Personal genomics – where consumers can order a kit from home and learn about theirgenetic makeup
a. 23and me – the oldest and most popular personal genetic company
b. Futura Genetics – Prague-based company that offers a DNA test on predispotion
to the 28 most common diseasesc. Veritas Genetics – A Massachusetts-based company that has been hailed as thefirst company to be able to sequence, analyze, and interpret the human genomefor $999
d. Counsyl – A San Francisco-based company that sells test that tell couples whether
they are at risk of having children with a range of inherited diseases2) Pharmacogenomics – the study of variability in drug response due to the genetic code.
Seeing that this area of research is viewed as highly important for improving drug therapy
and prescriptions, many start-ups are leveraging on the results.
a. MyDNA – Offers a medication test that helps you and your doctor personalize
your treatment and select the most appropriate medications based on your geneticcodeb. Verge Genomics – A San Francisco-based company that determines which FDAapproved drugs affect various genes in the body.
3) Genomics combined with Artificial Intelligence – companies that use deep learning tomine vast amounts of genetic information for clues about disease, diagnosis, andtreatment.
a. Deep Genomics – Their learning software is developing the ability to try andpredict the effects of a particular mutation based on its analyses of hundreds of
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thousands of examples of other mutations. They have developed a database thatprovides predictions for how more than 300 million genetic variations couldaffect a genetic code.
b. IBM Watson for Genomics – A service that combines Watson’s AI capabilities
with genomic tumor sequencing to determine the best treatment for individualpatients.
c. Verily Life Sciences – Founded under Google’s umbrella corporation, Alphabet.
d. DeCODE – An Icelandic based company that discovered genetic risk factors fordozens of diseases, and collected full DNA sequences on 10,000 individuals
living on the island4) Precision Oncology - An emerging approach for disease treatment and prevention thattakes into account individual variability in genes, environment, and lifestyle.
a. Foundation Medicine – Offers a full suite of comprehensive genomic profilingassays to identify the molecular alterations in a patient’s cancer and match hem
with relevant target therapies
b. Rosetta Genomics - uses mainly micro-ribonucleic acid (microRNA) biomarkers
to develop diagnostic tests designed to differentiate between various types ofcancer.
c. Color Genomics – A Silicon Valley start-up that aims to democratize access toDNA testing through affordable and clinical-grade genetic tests
d. Quest Diagnostics – a Fortune 500 company that is one of the oldest clinicallaboratory developing together with medical technology5) Genetic ancestry – using genetic data to find out your family history
a. National Geographic’s ancestry test – part of the Genographic Project, launchedby NatGeo in cooperation with IBM. A multi-year genetic anthropology study
that aims to map historical migration patterns by collecting and analyzing DNA
samplesb. Ancestry – largest genealogy companies in the world. They hone a large DNA
database and offer genealogical DNA tests that can be completed at home, which
can trace your family tree.
https://techcrunch.com/2017/01/10/illumina-wants-to-sequence-your-whole-genome-for-100/
Illumina has unveiled a new machine called NovaSeq, that is expected to one day, produce awhole genome for less than $100. CEO Francis deSouza clams that the machine’s scanningspeed can decipher an entire human genome in less than an hour. Many of the direct-to-consumer
DNA tests such as the one by 23andMe has been done using one of Illumina’s machines.
Although the machine is not quite yet ready, companies such as Chan Zuckerberg, the BroadInstitute of MIT, Regeneron, and Human Longevity have already placed an order for this newmachine.
Wesbite for Illumina: https://www.illumina.com/systems/sequencingplatforms/novaseq.html#.WHVn1LYrKqA
http://www.bio-itworld.com/2016/1/11/illumina-spinoff-grail-trial-liquid-biopsies-earlydetection-cancer.html

AUG/SEP REPORTEUGENE CONSULTING INC.

Illumina’s technology was used for more than 90% of DNA data collection in 2014. They havecome out with a panel test called truSight Tumor 15, which searches for mutations that could
present new treatment options in cancer cases and they also have created non-invasive prenatal
tests that detect fetal disorders through a blood drawn from the pregnant mother. Now, Illumina
has created a company called GRAIL that focuses on the early detection of all types of cancer
with a simple blood test. Their goal is to develop a universal, direct measure of cancer that is far
more accurate than proxy tests like mammograms or PSA tests. They aim to do this using
technology called liquid biopsy, in which DNA and RNA molecules shed by tumors are pickedup circulating freely in the bloodstream. GRAIL has raised more than $100 million at launch.
For GRAIL liquid biopsy to benefit patients the company would need to uncover genetic markers
that can distinguish harmful cancers from benign one with high specificity.

https://www.wired.co.uk/article/ibm-watson-artificial-intelligence
In January of 2017, it was announced that IBM Watson Genomics would be integrated intobiotech company Illumina’s TruSight Tumor 170 tool which would speed up tailored drug
recommendations for cancer patients. The addition of IBM Watsom for Genomics will allowIllumina’s tool to scan genetic sequences across 170 genes in a few minutes, look for alterations,and create a report based on alterations, clinical trials, and medical literature to recommenddrugs. This is a process that would ordinarily take human doctors a week to do.
IBM Watson has already helped the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Arizona todiscover 5 new genes lined to ALS. It’s computer power also helped to upgrade Pepper theRobot, making it smarter than ever.
https://cloud.google.com/genomics/
Google Genomics helps the life science community organize the world’s genomic informationand make it accessible and useful. It supports open industry standards, including those developedby the Global Alliance for Genomics and Health, so you can share your tools and data with yourgroup, collaborators, or the broader community, if and when you choose. Moreover, Google'sinfrastructure provides reliable information security that can meet or exceed the requirements ofHIPAA and protected health information. This platform also helps users better monetize theaccess and usage of their genomics data by hosting it in a storage bucket where operations,network and retrieval costs are easily billed to clients.
https://www.technologyreview.com/lists/companies/2017/intro/#veritas-genetics
https://www.veritasgenetics.com/press-releases
Veritas Genetics is a startup that spun out of Harvard University’s Personal Genome Project thatscreens customers’ DNA for a wide variety of mutations connected to health issues. Results of
the DNA test is made available to customers via an app. In 2017, they also launched the firstwhole genome newborn screening test in China. They offered to decode the genomes ofnewborns in China for $1500 each so that parents and physicans could make more informed
decisions regarding childgood onset diseases and medications. This service has brought about
concern by experts who worry that results may lead to incorrect assumptions about the child’sfuture.

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