Angelina Jolie, the BRCA Genes and Myriad Genetics

Angelina’s Jolie’s announcement in today’s New York Times op-ed, “My Medical Choice”, that she has had a double mastectomy is so timely for me. I just finished Jeff Wheelwright’s, TheWandering Gene and the Indian Princess. The book traces the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes through a large extended family in the Southwestern United States. Although the book wanders through many other historical social and religious threads, the main focus is how the BRCA genes are inherited and chronicles the decisions many women faced in dealing with the results.

Also, the AMP v. Myriad Genetics case now before the US Supreme Court will refocus attention to whether the tests for these genes can patented and thus create a monopoly which allows Myriad to profit handsomely from the test. Although I’ll not go into the legal intricacies here, you can read the plaintiff’s (ACLU’s) viewpoint for yourself. Additional background can be found at Judy Russell’s The Legal Genealogist blog. The bottom line for this post is that the price Myriad is able to charge discourages many women from seeking testing that may be critical to their informed health decisions and/or their peace of mind. Look for the Supreme Courts’ decision around the end of June.

   

Family Tree -- The TV "Mockumentary" Series

On May 12th HBO will launch the first of eight episodes of Family Tree. 

"Having recently lost his job and his girlfriend, 30-year-old Tom Chadwick has a rather unsure sense of his own identity. But when he inherits a mysterious box of belongings from a great aunt he never met, Tom starts investigating his lineage and uncovers a whole world of unusual stories and characters, acquiring a growing sense of  of who he and his real family are." [show website]

This is not your typical "this is your life" genealogy program. It is a comedy. Wikipedia calls this genre a "mockumentary" which it defines as "a type of film or television show in which fictional events are presented in a documentary style to create a parody."

HBOWatch provides this teaser: [click in the upper border]

"The show follows a young man investigating his lineage, going from the UK to Los Angeles.

The series stars Bridemaids and The IT Crowd-actor Chris O`Dowd, who also have appeared on GIRLS. The rest of the cast varies from British actors like the comedienne Nina Conti to known american actors like Ed Begely Jr. and Fred Willard. The series is created by Christopher Guest (The Spinal Tap) and Jim Piddock. Like Guest other work this is a mockumentary-show where most of the dialogue is improvised."

The series is also scheduled to air on BBC Two and will debut On Demand on May 13th. For more information check the official show website.

New Genealogy Series Coming to your TV

Some of you will want to set your DVRs for one or more of these genealogy related series. Megan Smolenyak recently introduced coming four attractions. The variety should provide at least one that will scratch your family history itch. These shows are:

Family Tree on HBO;

Who Do You Think Your Are? on TLC;

Finding Your Roots on PBS; and

Genealogy Road Show on PBS whose production company recently announced casting calls which were listed in this blog last week. Here's the link to Megan's post:

Megan Smolenyak
Genealogy Expert, Author of "Hey, America, Your Roots Are Showing" & "Who Do You Think You Are?"

HBO's Family Tree First of Four Genealogy Series to Air in U.S.      

Megan Smolenyak: HBO's Family Tree First of Four Genealogy Series to Air in U.S.Though there's been a bit of a vacuum in genealogical programming in the U.S. over the last year or so, that's happily about to change. First up is Christopher Guest and Jim Piddock's mockumentary series, Family Tree.   

For more information read Megan's entire article @ the Huffington Post site. 

Free Universal Family Trees with Authority Control

Back in October I reported on Family Tree -- a new venture by FamilySearch
to create a universal family tree with ONE single record for each individual rather than the multitude records with conflicting information which we are accustomed to finding on the Internet. At that time this forward looking tool was only available to members of the LDS Church. [Dr D is not a LDS member but he was given a password and allowed to attend two early training sessions while he was on a research trip to Salt Lake City.] It is now available to everyone. It is the policy of FamilySearch, to make genealogical resources available to everyone free of charge. If you haven't taken a look at Family Tree, now would be a good time to explore it.

This morning I was pointed to another free resource that shares many of the same goals of Family Tree. I was referred to this site by KinCityKity [aka: Kitty Smith] who has the unenviable task of managing the Smith surname DNA project at FTDNA -- of which my nephew, Trevis Smith, is a participant. 

To understand this project one must think Wikipedia. To further this image it is named WikiTree.

WikiTree Pledge

Our Pledge

As the creators and hosts of the WikiTree website, we pledge that our mission is the same as that of the community: to create a single worldwide family tree that will make genealogy free and accessible for everyone.
Free is an essential part of our shared mission. We will never charge for access to the worldwide family tree. And we will never knowingly and willingly sell or transfer the worldwide family tree to any individual or organization that intends to charge for access to it. 

Mission

Our mission is to grow a single worldwide family tree that will make genealogy free and accessible for everyone.

Vision

WikiTree is designed to balance privacy and collaboration so that everyone can share the same worldwide family tree.
We privately collaborate with our close family members on profiles of modern people. As we go back in time, the trust circles for ancestor profiles grow wider and wider. Collaboration on deep ancestors is between distant cousins who are serious about genealogy.
Because all the profiles are connected on the same system the process is creating a single family tree that will eventually connect us all and thereby make it free and easy for anyone to discover their roots.

 About WikiTree well known genealogy blogger Randy Seaver says,

"If you've been looking for a FREE family tree system that encourages collaboration, then I suggest that you try WikiTree. My opinion is that it's the easiest to use collaborative family tree currently available."

Of course there is no such thing as a "free lunch" or a free genealogy site. FamilySearch is subsidized by the bountiful resources of the LDS Church. Without that kind of deep pockets backing, WikiTree relies on relevant ads that border the content. While these can be somewhat annoying, would you rather be paying for access? That is the tradeoff. Remember "Free TV" is paid for by those ads we love to hate.

Both Family Tree and WikiTree are well worth exploring. If you have had experience with either, please make a comment below.

Casting PBS's "Genealogy Roadshow"

Casting Call Information City: Austin, San Francisco, Nashville, Detroit State: CA, MI, TN, TX HAVE YOU ALWAYS WONDERED ABOUT YOUR FAMILY'S HISTORY? The groundbreaking Documentary Series “Genealogy Roadshow” will be in AUSTIN, NASHVILLE, SAN FRANCISCO, and Detroit reuniting families with long lost relatives, and answering questions about their past, their history, and their lineage. Do you have a Family mystery you would like solved? Casting PBS's "Genealogy Roadshow" : RealityWanted.com: Reality TV, Game Show, Talk Show, News - All Things Unscripted Social Network Casting Community

Mitochondrial Test now on Sale

Mitochondrial DNA tests may taken by both women and men to trace their direct maternal lines. Tests for less than full the full mitochondrial sequence are useful for deep ancestry (haplogroup) identification. However, a full sequence test is needed to narrow results to those with whom you may have matches with others within genealogical times---the last few hundred years during which we have surnames and written records. An exact match on a full mitochondrial test is thought to mean you have a 50% chance of having a common ancestress within the last 5 generations. Lower levels of testing -- even with an exact match -- only indicate you have a 50% of a common ancestress within the last 700 to 1,400 years. Most of us do not have any idea who our ancestress are that far back. :-) Therefore, a full sequence test is the only mitochondrial test that may advance your genealogical research. Lower level tests might DISprove a match but they would not prove a common ancestress had lived within recent centuries.

	mtDNA DAY SALE $129 UPGRADE ANY mtDNA TO FULL SEQUENCE
	FAMILYTREEDNA HISTORY UNEARTHED DAILY
••••••••	SPECIAL DNA DAY REDUCED PRICING	••••••••
	In 2006, Family Tree DNA pioneered the use of mitochondrial (mtDNA) full sequences to solve maternal genealogical puzzles and to produce the deepest maternal haplogroups in the industry. At that time, only a few academic researchers were using the power of the mtDNA full sequence for anthropological studies. Now 7 years later, all serious academic researchers use mtDNA full sequences for their maternal lineage research. Several prestigious institutions send their DNA samples to Family Tree DNA for complete mtDNA sequencing. Knowing that this testing level is the best value for genealogy, we have preferred to see the mtDNA full sequencing used for all genealogical purposes. However, limited lab capacity forced us to use pricing as a mechanism to control the number of orders we receive. That’s about to change! We are proud to announce we have moved our Full Sequencing line from Sanger DNA sequencing to what is called Next Generation Sequencing (NGS). This gives us much greater capacity to process tests, to reduce costs without sacrificing quality, and to ensure shorter turnaround times. We must run the entire sequence every time we process an mtDNA full sequence test, even for upgrades. However, in celebration of this advance- and National DNA Day – we’re offering our lowest price ever for upgrades to FMS. For a limited time, whether you’ve tested HVR1 or HVR1+2, you’ll be able to upgrade to the Full Sequence for just $129! Rather than the 8-10 weeks first generation sequencing required, we expect your results to be completed within 5-6 weeks. This does depend on the number of orders received though. If their DNA is already at our lab, those who order first may expect even shorter turnaround times. By upgrading to the mtDNA Full Sequence, you can see your matches at the highest resolution possible since this test sequences the entire mtDNA genome. If you belong to a subclade of your haplogroup, you’ll see that information, too. You also will be able to share your sample with the academic community at www.mtdnacommunity.org (Sharing is voluntary-some consider this a benefit!)
	THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT Bennett Greenspan President Family Tree DNA

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Citizen Science Helps to Rewrite the Y Chromosome Tree..

 

Yesterday the first scientific paper was published by the American Journal of Human Genetics on a very interesting discovery that I previewed back in November on this blog: http://blog.ddowell.com/2012/11/your-paternal-line-just-got-much-longer.html. This was the discovery that an African-American in South Carolina had a Y-chromosome DNA sequence that is far older than any previously documented in fossils or in living individuals in Africa. This discovery was initially stumbled into in the course of a "routine" genetic genealogy project by citizen scientist, Bonnie Schrack. It has since been verified and documented by academic scientists from a variety of disciplines.

Today CeCe Moore explains this find in her usual complete and understandable way. Be sure to check out this story on her blog post linked below:

Citizen Science Helps to Rewrite the Y Chromosome Tree and Illuminate the Ancestral Roots of African American Project Members: 

The academic paper describing the discovery of a new root of the human Y chromosome tree, An African American Paternal Lineage Adds an Extr...

 

$39 Sale Price Only Good in February

Although this was not clearly stated in the initial coverage, the price reduction of a entry level, 12 marker Y-chrome test by FTDNA is a limited time only event. It now appears that the price will only be offered through February 28th. This does not prevent you purchasing kits during the sale and using them sometime in the future. The kits have a good shelf-life. So if you have been contemplating whether or not this new offer is worth taking advantage of, you will have to decide and ACT before the end of the month. It is possible the sale will be extended; but there is no guarantee that this will be the case. To take advantage of such sales in the past, one must have ordered AND paid for kits by midnight Houston time in order to get the sale price.

Entry Level Paternal Line DNA Test Lowered Drastically

FTDNA drastically lowered the cost of it's entry level Y-chromosome DNA test today. This is a test that can be taken by men to trace their paternal surname line up their family tree. This test will allow men to determine their general haplogroup (ancient clan) but will not be specific enough to answer many family history questions. However, as Your Genetic Genealogist pointed out today, this will get samples stored for 25 years--or until it is used up by further testing. So this is a very economical way to collect samples from several members of the older generation of your family for future family research.

Also buried in the press release below is an announcement that a price reduction is likely to be in the offing for mitochondrial tests which can be taken by members of either gender to test their maternal lines:

 Toward Universal Access by Individuals to their Own Genetic Data

Date:2/20/2013 

HOUSTON, Feb. 20, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- FamilyTreeDNA.com, the genetic genealogy arm of Gene By Gene, Ltd., is dramatically lowering the price of one of its basic Y-DNA tests to $39, making it the lowest-cost DNA test available on the market, in order to take a major step toward universal access by individuals to their personal genetic data.

By dropping the price of its basic Y-DNA test by 60 percent to $39, Family Tree DNA -- the world's largest processor of Y-DNA and full mitochondrial sequences -- is working to eliminate cost as a barrier to individuals introducing themselves to the insights and knowledge to be gained from personal genetic and genomic research.

Family Tree DNA pioneered the concept of direct-to-consumer testing in the field of genetic genealogy more than a decade ago, and has processed more than 5 million discrete tests for more than 700,000 individuals and organizations since it introduced its Y-DNA test in 2000.

The test investigates specific Y-DNA locations for males that provide individuals with their haplogroup, or the deep ancestral origin of the paternal line.  In addition, it can indicate if different individuals are likely to share a common male line.


Gene By Gene is also working to lower the cost of Family Tree DNA's comparable mtDNA test, which would be applicable to both females and males and provides data on the direct maternal line.  The company expects to unveil new pricing for this test in spring 2013.

As the sponsor DNA Workshop of "Who Do You Think You Are - Live" in London this February, Family Tree DNA expects that the reduced price test will add a great number of individuals to its already large database – the largest of its kind in the world.

"We believe the first step to unearthing your personal and family history is to better understand your DNA," Gene By Gene President Bennett Greenspan said.  "That's why we are continuously investing in new technology and experienced scientists at our Genomics Research Center, enabling us to conduct tests more accurately, efficiently and at lower prices.  Our $39 Y-DNA test is just the latest example of how we are working to help individuals gain access to their genetic data."

Customer Inquiries
Individuals interested in Family Tree DNA's $39 Y-DNA test, or any of its ancestral testing products, can visit www.familytreedna.com for more information.
 
About Gene By Gene, Ltd.
Founded in 2000, Gene By Gene, Ltd. provides reliable DNA testing to a wide range of consumer and institutional customers through its four divisions focusing on ancestry, health, research and paternity.  Gene By Gene provides DNA tests through its Family Tree DNA division, which pioneered the concept of direct-to-consumer testing in the field of genetic genealogy more than a decade ago.  Gene by Gene is CLIA registered and through its clinical-health division DNA Traits offers regulated diagnostic tests. DNA DTC is the Research Use Only (RUO) division serving both direct-to-consumer and institutional clients worldwide.  Gene By Gene offers AABB certified relationship tests through its paternity testing division, DNA Findings. The privately held company is headquartered in Houston, which is also home to its state-of-the-art Genomics Research Center.

DNA and Genealogy Help Identify Richard III

The University of Leicester this morning in a press conference announced that remains dug up in a car park were beyond a reasonable doubt those of King Richard III, the last of the Plantagenet monarchs, who died in battle in 1485:

 Wealth of evidence, including radiocarbon dating, radiological evidence, DNA and bone analysis and archaeological results, confirms identity of last Plantagenet king who died over 500 years ago

DNA from skeleton matches two of Richard III's maternal line relatives. Leicester genealogist verifies living relatives of Richard III's family

For more information check the BBC site. That site is being updated frequently this morning with this breaking news.

Ann Turner just suggested this University of Leicester site with more details of the DNA that was compared.

CNN has additional details as well.