Genetic Testing Company Can Tell You How You'll Die

Image via CrunchBase

A patent by 23andMe, the company behind the $99 personal genome kit--you can mail your spit to them and receive a comprehensive overview of your lineage, traits, and potential health conditions--got a new round of attention for a patent it applied for back in December 2008.

It deals with technology behind a kind of "Inheritance Calculator." The genetic analysis would present prospective parents considering donor eggs or sperm with an array of genetic traits they'd prefer to be matched with. Examples in the patent application included: low (or high) risk of colorectal or breast cancers and congenital heart defects; longest expected lifespan; least expected life cost of health care; least expected cumulative duration of hospitalization; eye color; and the ability to taste bitterness. Further factors 23andMe looks into include lactose intolerance and wet or dry earwax. Read more >>