Welcome to deCODEus. deCODEus is an experiment. We want to find out what this is all about. deCODEme is a service provided by deCODE of Iceland. They’re a biotech firm that has made a name for itself by cataloging the genetic material of hundreds of thousands of people, and using that information to ‘decode’ the human genome.
Last November, they introduced deCODEme, “the world’s first service to offer a comprehensive genome scan and online analysis of your unique DNA profile.” For just $985, you can get a personal genetic profile that will tell you about what diseases you’re likely to develop, the genetic basis of your physical traits, and your ethnic background and ancestry. It’ll even let you compare your gene profile by friending people who have also signed up to be scanned.
deCODEme uses DNA chips to scan swabs taken from your mouth to produce these profiles. Other companies, like 23andMe and Navigenics have popped up to do similar things.
We want to think about what the appearance of services like these means for how we think about life, health, personhood, and science and technology. We want to place ourselves right in the middle of the ‘personal genomics revolution’ as consumers, citizens, and cultural analysts. Most of all, we want to document and discuss the process of getting a personal genetic profile.
This blog will be a place to do all of this. The two of us, Jon and Grant, will be the administrators and (hopefully) regular posters, but we want anyone who has an interest in this to comment or write or suggest posts.
Why are we doing this?
You may have noticed the big “Donate” button on the main page. As you may have guessed, we do not have the $985 to buy a deCODEme profile or the $999 to sign up for 23 and me.
Just as we are asking everyone to contribute ideas, we’re also asking visitors to make a small donation to raise enough money to get someone’s profile made on deCODEme. We don’t know who yet (I vote for Jon).
Think of this as ’swarm-funding.’ We are both graduate students in the social sciences. One good thing about the social sciences is that they don’t take a lot of money to do. One bad thing about them is that there aren’t that many places that will give you the little bit of money that you do need.
This blog is an experiment in getting a small project like this done using the ‘many small donors’ approach.
So read, write, comment, and give us your coffee money.
