When he was 21, Gary Skillings tried to contact his mother through a nun at the Catholic orphanage from which he was adopted in the 1950s, but she didn’t want to see him.
&nbsp;
<div id="attachment_22818" style="width: 168px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-22818" class="size-full wp-image-22818" src="https://www.23andme.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/safe_image.php_.jpg" alt="Gary Skillings' Photo" width="158" height="158" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/safe_image.php_.jpg 158w, https://blogcms.23andme.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/safe_image.php_-150x150.jpg 150w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 158px) 100vw, 158px" />Gary Skillings&#8217; Photo</div>
“That was kind of a heartbreaker,” Skilling told <a href="http://www.sunjournal.com/news/lewiston-auburn/2015/08/30/dna-test-brings-florida-man-home-maine/1771495">the Sun Journal newspape</a>r in Maine. “But I honored her wish.”


Although he longed to know more about his background and who his mother was, Gary didn’t search any further after that failed attempt to make a connection. But he was left with at least one bit of information, his mother’s first name, Aline. Fast-forward a few decades, Gary was able to use 23andMe and genealogical records to learn more about his mother, and connect with cousins he never knew he had.


His story, nicely told by the local paper in Lewiston Maine, includes meeting more than 50 relatives, cousins, aunt and uncles who welcomed him into the family.


“They had this reception for me and all these people showed up,” he told the newspaper. “They were all total strangers to me, yet all related.”


They shared photos and family stories with him. He learned more about his now deceased mother, Aline Mary Cotes, and his out-of-wedlock birth. He found a close cousin, who knew about his birth and actually knew about Gary’s effort to contact his mother so long ago. She had vowed to keep it all a secret.


Check out the story <a href="http://www.sunjournal.com/news/lewiston-auburn/2015/08/30/dna-test-brings-florida-man-home-maine/1771495">here</a>.

23andMe Blog

23andMe Blog Team

Mending a Broken Heart

After reading a recent <a href="https://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/medical_examiner/2015/08/misophonia_research_disorder_of_irritation_by_chewing_lip_smacking_sniffing.single.html">Slate piece</a>, we thought it might be worth taking one more bite at <a href="http://www.misophonia-uk.org/">Misophonia</a>.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-2937" src="https://www.23andme.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/mouth-150x150.jpg" alt="mouth" width="150" height="150" />


It’s one of those conditions that you might not know is a condition, even if you have it.
<a href="https://www.23andme.org/genetics/traits/misophonia/">Misophonia</a> – from the Greek word meaning hatred of sound – is characterized by feelings of rage triggered by other people chewing, sipping or chomping on their food. It’s more than just not liking bad manners at the table, but a real visceral reaction to that sound or other kinds of sounds such as sniffing, lip-smacking and even other people breathing.


Many with the condition have the same kind of surprised reaction that writer Megan Cartwright described in her Slate article. 
 

“Other people have this?! “ she asked.
She thought it was just her.
No other people have it, but often just think that it&#8217;s just them. Although Cartwright looks at a few recent small studies a little skeptically, 23andMe recently conducted an internal study looking at more than 90,000 customers who have consented to research and found that about 20 percent reported that they were “filled with rage” by the sound of others eating.


The percentage found in 23andMe’s study was similar to the numbers found in <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24752915">a study</a> cited by Cartwright that was done last year by psychologists at the University of South Florida. That work also found that the condition appeared to be associated with psychiatric conditions such as anxiety, depression and obsessive compulsive disorder. But other researchers said characterizing the condition, as a psychiatric disorder is a mistake.
She interviewed Dutch researcher Pawel Jastreboff, who with his wife and co-researcher, Margaret Jastreboff, first came up with the term misophonia. Pawel suggests that the condition has more to do with learned behavior by an individual with an existing <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25726280">sensitivity to sounds</a>.
23andMe’s research, which focused on people of European ancestry, identified a specific genetic variant, , associated with misophonia that is near the gene <a href="http://www.genecards.org/cgi-bin/carddisp.pl?gene=TENM2">TENM2</a>, which plays a role in brain development.

Chew on This

<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-are-haplogroups">What are haplogroups?</h2>



Haplogroups are genetic classifications or ancestral groupings within a population, typically defined by shared, inherited genetic markers or mutations. These markers are passed down from a common ancestor. They can be traced through the analysis of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) for maternal haplogroups and the Y chromosome for paternal haplogroups. Haplogroups provide insights into human populations&#8217; historical migrations and evolutionary history, helping researchers and genealogists understand the genetic relationships and ancestral origins of individuals and groups.



Many 23andMe customers that contact Customer Care are confused by their haplogroup assignments and what they actually mean.



<figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="432" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Haplo-inline-1024x432.png" alt="" class="wp-image-33670" title="haplogroup map" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Haplo-inline-1024x432.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Haplo-inline-300x127.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Haplo-inline-768x324.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Haplo-inline-880x371.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Haplo-inline-1180x498.png 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Haplo-inline.png 1501w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



If you still aren’t sure what your haplogroup is, check out our <a href="https://www.23andme.org/dna-ancestry/?_gl=1*10vpw0b*_ga*NDA5NTc3MDk2LjE2ODA4MDgwMTU.*_ga_G330GF3ZFF*MTY5NzEyNjEzOC41OC4xLjE2OTcxMjYxNDAuMC4wLjA.">DNA Ancestry Test</a> as a first step. <a href="https://www.23andme.org/dna-ancestry/">Knowing your haplogroup</a>, and how you can use it, can give you much more clarity about your own ancestry. So in the interest of helping you out, we will walk through an example of a <a href="https://www.23andme.org/blog/articles/23andmes-updated-maternal-haplogroup-report">maternal</a> and <a href="https://www.23andme.org/blog/articles/updates-to-23andme-paternal-haplogroup-assignments">paternal haplogroup</a> assignment, and explain how knowing your haplogroups can place you in the human family tree and connect you to your ancestry.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-haplogroup-assignment-example">Haplogroup Assignment Example</h2>



In this case we&#8217;re using someone who is Asian, who has roots&nbsp; in Southeast Asia. But his maternal haplogroup – B4’5 and more specifically subgroup B5a1a – is most commonly found among Native Americans of the U.S. Southwest and northern Mexico. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-haplogroups-can-help-uncover-the-migration-of-your-ancestors">Haplogroups Can Help Uncover the Migration of Your Ancestors</h2>



So why is that?



What connects him to Native Americans?



This is where understanding a little bit about haplogroups is helpful in placing you and your ancestry in the broader context of human history. Each haplogroup describes individual branches – or closely related groups of branches – on the genetic family tree of all humans. All members of a haplogroup trace their ancestry back to a single individual.



In this case, the individual shares his maternal haplogroup with many Native Americans because 12,000 years ago people migrated from Asia to Alaska, when sea levels were lower.



Or another way of looking at it is that descendants of his ancient maternal ancestor – a common ancestor he shares with many Native Americans – had crossed the Bering Land Bridge to populate the Americas.



Looking deeper into his results his maternal haplogroup is a subgroup of B4’5, specifically B5a1a. It has its own history where it broke off from B4’5 in Southeast Asia.



Recent migration patterns have altered the global distribution of this haplogroup, but that ancient history is written in his DNA and being able to read that and identify his maternal haplogroup connects him to that history.



The ability to trace back a person’s maternal haplogroup back so far – more than 50,000 years in the case of B4’5 – has to do with how it is passed down to each of us from our mother, and her mother, and her mother’s mother, and so on back in time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-difference-between-maternal-and-paternal-haplogroups">The Difference Between Maternal and Paternal Haplogroups</h2>



Understanding the differences between a maternal and paternal haplogroup, goes can help you better use this information to better understand your ancestral origins.



<h6 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-maternal-haplogroups">Maternal Haplogroups</h6>



Maternal haplogroups are determined by defining variants in your mitochondrial DNA. Everyone &nbsp;inherits &nbsp;their mitochondria from their mothers. Unlike your other pieces of DNA, your mitochondrial DNA is the only type of DNA that is found outside of the nucleus. For this reason, your mitochondrial DNA does not recombine with other types of DNA. Because your mitochondria is inherited directly from you mother and undergoes very little recombination, you will share the same maternal haplogroup with any relative you share a direct maternal line with. For example, you, your mother, your brother, your sister, your maternal aunt, your maternal grandmother, etc. would all share the same maternal haplogroup as you. And that maternal haplogroup traces back through the generations to a single mutation at a specific place and time.



In the case we&#8217;re looking at, his maternal haplogroup is one that is shared by many people, not only of Han Chinese ancestry, but also with many Polynesians, Native Americans, and Southeast Asians.



<h6 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-paternal-haplogroups">Paternal Haplogroups</h6>



Now that we’ve looked at maternal haplogroups, we can turn our attention to paternal haplogroup assignments. In this case the person&#8217;s paternal haplogroup assignment is O3a3c1*.



It traces to East Asia and is also common among Han Chinese, Koreans, Filipinos and Malaysians. The paternal haplogroup assignment is &nbsp;determined by defining variants in your Y Chromosome. The Y chromosome is the sex-determining chromosome for males, which men inherit from their fathers. Therefore, unless you inherited a Y chromosome from your father, you will not have a paternal haplogroup assignment. (You can find out more about this <a href="https://www.23andme.org/blog/articles/a-fathers-day-ode-to-the-y-chromosome/">here</a>.) This is why women will see this page is unavailable to them within their 23andMe account, but in a moment we’ll explain how women can determine their paternal haplogroup.



First understanding a little bit more about the the Y chromosome is helpful. The Y chromosome does undergo recombination with the X chromosome, but only does so at the ends. So about 95 percent of the Y chromosome remains relatively intact across generations. For this reason, the Y chromosome is a reflection of your ancient paternal ancestry. You would therefore share a paternal haplogroup assignment with any male relative that you shared a direct paternal line with.



<h6 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-paternal-haplogroups-and-women">Paternal Haplogroups and Women</h6>



A woman can infer her paternal haplogroup if a male relative on her paternal line has been genotyped by 23andMe.



Because both the Y chromosome and mitochondrial DNA change so little over generations, they are very informative about your ancient ancestry. But that is not to say that they do not change at all. In fact, &nbsp;each letter and number that you see within your haplogroup corresponds to a set of defining mutations in your mitochondrial DNA or your &nbsp;Y chromosome. This marks a period in time when your haplogroup branched off into a distinct line. So, for example, it may mark when a population first migrated out of Africa, or when another group became geographically isolated.



<h6 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-assigning-haplogroups">Assigning Haplogroups</h6>



23andMe is able to trace your ancestry based on these mutations. That is because they occurred in distinct geographical locations during specific periods of time. Haplogroup assignments can even be traced back to specific languages.



That DNA evidence is often corroborated by the fossil record. Our oldest fossils date back 200,000 years. They were found in Omo Kibish in Ethiopia. According to genetic and paleontological records, Homo sapiens only began migrating out of Africa 60,000-70,000 years ago. They moved from Africa into the Eurasian continent.



Some of these migrants moved along the Indian coast reaching first Southeast Asia. They then migrated to Australia around 50,000 years ago. Since then, different migratory events have spread our species across the continents along different routes and paths.



We are able to trace migratory patterns based on defining mutations in mitochondrial DNA and Y chromosome DNA.



In the case in this post, ancient ancestors who were part of his maternal haplogroup were among a group of individuals who were in Southeast Asia. Some of those individuals eventually migrated across the Bering land bridge to populate the Americas. Some stayed around East Asia and developed some new defining mutations in their mitochondrial DNA making them B5a1a.



It is important to keep in mind that your mitochondrial DNA and Y chromosome account for very small portion of your DNA. It is also a small portion of your overall ancestry.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-autosomal-dna">Autosomal DNA</h2>



As most haplogroups arose over tens of thousands of years ago, these pieces of DNA generally reflect your very ancient ancestry. It&#8217;s possible for two people to share the same haplogroup assignment but no recent ancestry. So for example, while you may share a paternal haplogroup with Stephen Colbert, you probably don’t share any recent common ancestors.



A large portion of our DNA is found within your autosomal DNA. This DNA undergoes recombination with each successive generation. Your results analyzing your autosomal DNA therefore generally reflect your ancestry from within the past five to ten generations. Therefore, it is not uncommon for the ancestry found within your haplogroup or your <a href="https://www.23andme.org/dna-ancestry">Ancestry Composition</a> to differ from your own. This does not mean that any of these pieces are incorrect. They are each simply describing a different part of your rich and unique ancestry.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Learn More</h2>



You can find out if your <a href="https://www.23andme.org/test-info/genetic-health/">genetics</a> might Increase your risk for any health conditions with 23andMe. You can see a more recent <a href="https://www.23andme.org/blog/articles/23andme-updates-paternal-haplogroup-assignments">blog post about haplogroups here</a>.

Haplogroups Explained

Over the last year 23andMe has launched two research initiatives with Pfizer, one to study <a href="https://www.23andme.org/ibd/">inflammatory bowel disease</a> and the other to study <a href="https://www.23andme.org/lupus/">lupus.</a>


We’re pretty optimistic about the work done so far as we continue to recruit patients to participate in these two important research projects, so it’s nice to see that Pfizer is as excited about the potential as we are.


Pfizer recently posted a video explaining its <a href="http://www.pfizer.com/partnerships">partnerships more broadly</a> and the company&#8217;s hopes for accelerating research. It’s also nice to see 23andMe’s Emily Drabant Conely, our director of business development, featured in one of the videos.

<iframe loading="lazy" width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dOaJk9SHKQg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
<iframe loading="lazy" width="250" height="141" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZBhJ9VWbqcc?list=PLFvkfbvHpp1lEK7U0ehu_akvIX9ZIzJDc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> <iframe loading="lazy" width="250" height="141" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZBhJ9VWbqcc?list=PLFvkfbvHpp1lEK7U0ehu_akvIX9ZIzJDc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

Lupus and IBD Research Partnerships

A team of researchers has developed a simple and non-invasive approach that uses genetic data in combination with other demographic and biomarker information to <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-22635 size-medium" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Brain-Logo-287x300.jpg" alt="" width="287" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Brain-Logo-287x300.jpg 287w, https://blogcms.23andme.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Brain-Logo.jpg 438w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 287px) 100vw, 287px" />accurately distinguish those with and without Parkinson’s disease, an illness that is notoriously difficult to detect.
<h6>New Predictive Model</h6>
In a study published this week in the journal <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laneur/article/PIIS1474-4422%2815%2900178-7/fulltext">Lancet Neurology</a>, the group detailed their findings showing how they used a small set of key data points to discern individuals with Parkinson’s from those who do not have the disease. The predictive model offers hope for earlier detection and diagnosis for the disease, according to the study.
“Accurate diagnosis and early detection of complex diseases, such as Parkinson’s, has the potential to be of great benefit for researchers and clinical practice,” the authors said.
<h6>Early Diagnosis is Important</h6>
Simply making a correct diagnosis of a progressive neurodegenerative disease like Parkinson’s can be very difficult, and take time. It’s often misdiagnosed and the result is that many patients do not get early treatment. Although there is not currently a cure for Parkinson’s, existing treatments have been able to significantly mitigate symptoms, and new treatments being tested now may help slow the progression of the disease. The earlier those treatments can begin, the better the prognosis. That makes early diagnosis that much more important. There currently is no cure for Parkinson&#8217;s so treatment has focused on slowing the progression of the disease and mitigating the symptoms.
&#8220;The model could have immediate application in helping refine cohorts used in clinical research,” said Paul Cannon, 23andMe’s Parkinson’s Research community manager. “With more data and further refinement, it may be able to contribute to better diagnosis of individuals with Parkinson-like symptoms and the identification of prodromal (pre-symptomatic) and &#8220;at risk&#8221; populations, which will be critical for the development of disease modifying therapies.&#8221;
<div id="attachment_22380" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-22380" class="wp-image-22380 size-medium" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/paul-300x235.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="235" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/paul-300x235.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/paul-768x602.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/paul-1024x802.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/paul-880x689.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/paul-1180x924.jpg 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/paul.jpg 2016w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Paul Cannon, 23andMe&#8217;s Parkinson&#8217;s Research Community manager.</div>
<h6>Multiple Inputs</h6>
This paper shows that a model, which combines genetic risk score, demographic and biomarker data, can more accurately discriminate individuals with Parkinson’s from healthy controls as compared to genetics alone. That is partly what makes this study so interesting.
Lead by scientists with the National Institutes of Health, the researchers tested their model against a group of more than 1000 individuals, some with Parkinson’s and some without the disease. Researchers from 23andMe, the Michael J. Fox Foundation, the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Rochester Medical Center also participated in the work.
The researchers also tested their model against another set of patients who had had image scans of their brain. This is referred to as Scans Without Evidence of Dopaminergic Deficit, or SWEDD. The model classified 17 patients as having Parkinson’s and within the first year, four of them developed the disease. Only one of the 38 patients the model classified as not having Parkinson’s developed the disease in the same time frame.
<h6>23andMe&#8217;s Parkinson&#8217;s Research Community</h6>
The model includes genetic risks, family history, age, and gender. It also includes some biomarkers such as the ability to detect certain smells into account in diagnosing Parkinson’s. The information used in the model can be gathered remotely. That means participants do not have to visit a medical center, patients can send in saliva for genetic testing. They can then answer online surveys regarding family history, the study authors said.
After they created an algorithm using this information, the scientists then tested it. They used data on individuals from five different study groups, including 23andMe’s Parkinson’s Research Community. What they found was that in each case their method had a very high accuracy rate for predicting Parkinson&#8217;s. The model accurately classified Parkinson’s in patients more than 90 percent of the time. The model also did well classifying different Parkinson’s subtypes.
The researcher used many methods of validating the results. Those include using data from 23andMe’s LRRK2 biomarker cohort, and the data from the Parkinson’s Progression Marker Initiative.
The researchers found not only a new highly accurate method of diagnosing Parkinson’s, but also one that significantly outperformed any single-classifier method of diagnosing.
The study authors believe that with further refinement the tool may be useful for screening and diagnosing. It may also help in differentiating Parkinson’s disease from other neurological conditions. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-22634 size-large" src="https://www.23andme.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Parkinsons-Research-Community-640x238.jpg" alt="Parkinson's Research Community" width="640" height="238" />

A New Model for Discerning Parkinson’s

Whether you ordered 23andMe to learn more about your ancestry, to participate in research, or to connect with relatives, every 23andMe <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-24106 size-medium" src="https://www.23andme.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Whats-in-the-Kit-300x195.png" alt="What's in the Kit" height="195" width="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Whats-in-the-Kit-300x195.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Whats-in-the-Kit-768x500.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Whats-in-the-Kit-1024x667.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Whats-in-the-Kit-880x573.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Whats-in-the-Kit-1180x768.png 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Whats-in-the-Kit.png 1822w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />customer can learn something about what makes them unique.
Our Customer Care team gets a lot of questions regarding first steps you need to make tOur cuo access this information. Hopefully we can clarify some of these important questions here.
When you receive your sample kit for the first time, there are a few important things to notice.
One of the first items you will see when opening the sample kit will be a piece of paper enclosed within a plastic casing. This paper is hard to miss – it displays a big red “STOP” message. However, as we all can imagine, this message can still be overlooked in the excitement of receiving the kit. 
&nbsp;
<div style="float: right; text-align: justified; width: 250px; background-color: #eee; padding: 15px; margin-left: 10px;">Tips and Tricks On Providing A Sample
The process of providing a saliva sample can sometimes be more difficult than you might think. If you or anyone you are assisting is having a difficult time proving their sample within a 30 minute period, the tips and tricks found here. 

• Is your sample contaminated?
Feel free to rinse out the collection tube with water and allow it to air dry as long as the buffer fluid in your kit’s funnel lid is still intact.

• Missing a biohazard bag?
The sample can be mailed back to the laboratory in a ziplock bag. Just be sure to replace the funnel lid with the small cap. 

• Did your buffer fluid spill?
The liquid found in the funnel lid liquid in the funnel lid is a buffer fluid necessary for sample viability during transit to our laboratory. If you did not include the buffer fluid to your saliva sample, it is unlikely that our laboratory will be able to process your sample.
</div>
First of all, it is important to note that placing an order does not mean an account has been created or the sample has been registered. Placing an order, creating a 23andMe account, and registering your sample within your 23andMe account are three three separate processes.
So heed the message, stop and before doing anything else register your kit using the unique 14-digit barcode found on the side of the sample collection tube.
The registration process must be completed before the sample reaches the laboratory. The sample will not be processed at the laboratory unless it has been registered to a 23andMe account, so don’t skip this important step.
The registration process ensures that sample is connected to your account and that it is done so in a way that protects your privacy. That’s something that we here at 23andMe take very seriously. The barcode number you use to register your kit helps to ensure everyone’s data is not only protected, but also linked to the correct individual. To protect each of our customer’s privacy, the laboratory even removes and discards any identifying information included with a saliva sample before any testing personnel receive the sample.
Another important part of this registration process is that you don’t mix up kits. You must make sure that you are using the barcode from kit to which you provide your saliva sample. Sometimes couples or family members mistakenly mix up the kits they are registering. It is most important to make sure that each individual being genotyped uses the collection tube from which they have registered or intend to register.
Before we move on, we want to cover a few more questions we receive all the time regarding registration and account creation.
If you haven’t already set up a 23andMe account, you can do so at the registration link. If you have already set up a 23andMe account, you can click “sign in” instead, and then enter your barcode.
Once your 23andMe profile has been created, you are free to modify the information at any time using the edit profile button found in the drop down menu under your account profile name.
Now that your sample kit has been registered to your 23andMe account, it’s time to spit – provide your sample.
We can use saliva because there are a large number of white blood cells from which we extract your DNA. This means eating, drinking, brushing your teeth, biting your cheeks etc. within 30 minutes of submitting your sample could affect the quality and quantity of your white blood cells.
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23 pairs of Chromosomes, One Unique You.

Scott Fisher, the host of the nationally syndicated family history radio show Extreme Genes, spent his last show focused on 23andMe’s ancestry offerings, explaining a little bit about the science of <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-22357" src="https://www.23andme.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/KasiaB-1-200x300.jpg" alt="KasiaB 1" width="200" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/KasiaB-1-200x300.jpg 200w, https://blogcms.23andme.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/KasiaB-1.jpg 576w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px" />DNA testing for genealogy from our very own population geneticist Kasia Byrc, PhD.


Kasia has been pretty busy lately, participating recently in the <a href="http://globalfamilyreunion.com/">Global Family Reunion</a>, and before that the <a href="https://www.23andme.org/blog/ancestry/everyone-is-related-the-big-data-proves-it/">South By Southwest</a> festival in Austin, as well as writing about the <a href="http://kasiabryc.com/publications/index.html">complex admixture of African Americans</a>, Latinos and Europeans in the United States. Her research has helped show how our DNA can inform us about human migration and history in the United States over the last few hundred years.
<a href="http://extremegenes.com/category/podcast-archive/">Extreme Genes</a> is syndicated on more than 30 stations across the country and also has a regular podcast that covers all things related to genealogy. Fisher himself is a national expert in the field of genealogy, and the interview with Kasia was meant to offer those interested in tapping into the 23andMe tool box to improve their own genealogical searches.
During this episode on 23andMe, Fisher and Kasia covered some of the science behind using genetic data to help inform people about their ancestry.
Fisher explained how his own results – connections with several different distant cousins – helped him leverage what his family already knew about their history to learn even more.
“Using DNA is a fantastic tool to dig into your own history,” Kasia said during the show.
Along with detailing some of the science, Kasia, who was an NIH Ruth L. Kirschetein National Research Fellow at Harvard Medical School before coming to work at 23andMe, Inc., also shared a few stories from 23andMe customers and how they used their results to discover more about their families.


Check out the podcast <a href="http://extremegenes.com/ep-99-23andme-on-dna-genealogy/">here</a>.

The Way Way Back

Researchers know that genetics, as well as environmental and hormonal influences, play a role in the development of lupus, but we still have a lot to learn about this as-yet incurable autoimmune disease.
This spring, 23andMe and Pfizer launched a study into the genetics of lupus. Working in collaboration with the<a href="http://www.lupusresearchinstitute.org/"> Lupus Research Institute</a>, researchers hope to learn more about the disease and make findings that might lead to new treatments.
In July, 23andMe hosted a live Google Hangout on Air with Amy Caron, who works at the Lupus Research Institute, and Joyce Tung, Ph.D., 23andMe’s director of research. 23andMe’s Helen McCurdy moderated the live online broadcast, which included questions from those participating in the study and others who simply wanted to learn more about the research, or had general questions about lupus itself.
You can watch a replay of the video here: http://23me.co/EDSwgf.
<iframe loading="lazy" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XlWzX35vdko" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> 
We’ve already had some positive feedback from study participants, including one from Gia Cruz, during the online broadcast, who said she appreciated the work 23andMe is doing.
“I participated in the study and it was a real eye opener,” Gia said.
Along with those encouraging comments, we heard from others who simply wanted to learn more about the basics of this hard to diagnose autoimmune disease and our study. While Amy discussed some of the general details about the disease, Joyce covered some of the details of the research itself.
One of the aspects of Lupus that is not yet fully understood is why Latinos, African Americans and Native Americans are at higher odds of getting the condition. Joyce pointed out that this makes ensuring that the participants in the study are as diverse as possible.
During the discussion there were several questions from individuals interested in participating. So far more than 1,400 people have already signed up.
Ultimately the goal is to enroll 5,000 participants in the study. While the details on eligibility can be found <a href="https://www.23andme.org/lupus/">here</a>, the most important criteria is that participants must have a definitive lupus diagnosis. They also must be willing to consent to have their physician share their medical records with researchers. In addition, they must also be willing to submit a saliva sample for DNA testing, and complete a series of short surveys over 12 month period.
Learn more about <a href="https://www.23andme.org/lupus/">23andMe’s lupus community here</a>. If you have further questions, post them here and we’ll answer as many as we can.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-22690 size-larger" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Lupus-Landing-Page-880x302.jpg" alt="" width="880" height="302" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Lupus-Landing-Page-880x302.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Lupus-Landing-Page-300x103.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Lupus-Landing-Page-768x264.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Lupus-Landing-Page-1024x352.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Lupus-Landing-Page-1180x405.jpg 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Lupus-Landing-Page.jpg 1758w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 880px) 100vw, 880px" />

23andMe Hangs out with the Lupus Research Institute

Several media stories in the last few months have highlighted the potential of 23andMe to help adoptees.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-6586 size-medium" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/23andMe_Logo_blog-300x300.jpg" alt="An image of 23andMe's logo." width="300" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/23andMe_Logo_blog-300x300.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/23andMe_Logo_blog-150x150.jpg 150w, https://blogcms.23andme.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/23andMe_Logo_blog-271x271.jpg 271w, https://blogcms.23andme.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/23andMe_Logo_blog.jpg 350w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
One of the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/12/nyregion/a-son-given-up-for-adoption-is-found-after-half-a-century-and-then-lost-again.html">more touching pieces</a> highlighted a woman’s 50-year search for the son she’d given up for adoption at 19. She was able to find him using 23andMe, only to lose him again to cancer. Another interesting <a href="http://www.pri.org/stories/2015-07-21/korean-adoptees-are-using-dna-kits-get-glimpse-their-ancestry">story on PRI</a> looked at Korean born adoptees using DNA to learn more about their ancestry.
Inventor and scientist Thomas Park Clement, who was among the first wave of Korean adoptees to come to the United States in the 1950s, set aside a million dollars of his own money to cover the cost of other Korean adoptees who want to get tested.
&#8220;Everyone on the planet has the right to know who their relatives are,&#8221; Clement is quoted as saying.
Those stories and others highlight that while it’s not designed with adoptees in mind, 23andMe has become a resource for many wanting to fill in the gaps in what they know about their ancestry, their inherited traits or family history. 
For many of us we take for granted knowing this basic information about ourselves, but for many adoptees using a DNA test is the only way they could find out this kind of information.
<div style="float: center; text-align: justified; width: 650px; background-color: #eee; padding: 15px; margin-left: 10px;"><a href="https://www.23andme.org/blog/articles/more-than-just-luck">More Than Just Luck</a> 
With the help of a genetic genealogist and her 23andMe results, a woman abandoned behind a grocery store as an infant is able to identify her biological mother.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-22519 size-thumbnail" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Jimmy-Paul-quote1-150x150.jpg" alt="A photo of brothers who found each other using 23andMe with a quote that says &quot;Stories of this kind, they are hard to believe…”" width="150" height="150" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Jimmy-Paul-quote1-150x150.jpg 150w, https://blogcms.23andme.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Jimmy-Paul-quote1-300x300.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Jimmy-Paul-quote1-768x768.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Jimmy-Paul-quote1-880x880.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Jimmy-Paul-quote1-271x271.jpg 271w, https://blogcms.23andme.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Jimmy-Paul-quote1-372x372.jpg 372w, https://blogcms.23andme.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Jimmy-Paul-quote1-574x574.jpg 574w, https://blogcms.23andme.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Jimmy-Paul-quote1-980x980.jpg 980w, https://blogcms.23andme.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Jimmy-Paul-quote1.jpg 1000w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /> 
Not an adoption story, but this story tracks some of the same kind of ordeals adoptees have to go through to find out about their biological families. In this case, half brothers– one who lives in Brazil, the other in the United States – connected through 23andMe. Their story, which spans over several decades and includes some harrowing childhood trauma, ends with the two brothers meeting for the first time.
<a href="https://www.23andme.org/blog/articles/goodnight-son/">Goodnight Son</a> 
Not every reunion between an adoptee and his or her biological parent or sibling is a happy one, but for Mike Reed the meeting with his biological father couldn&#8217;t have gone better. His biological father welcomed into the family and introduced him to his nine half siblings.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-21929 size-thumbnail" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Liz-Quote-150x150.jpg" alt="A photo of Liz with the quote: “To site and talk with someone who is your sibling, or your biological parent … who you have never met… incredible.” " width="150" height="150" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Liz-Quote-150x150.jpg 150w, https://blogcms.23andme.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Liz-Quote-300x300.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Liz-Quote-768x768.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Liz-Quote-880x880.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Liz-Quote-271x271.jpg 271w, https://blogcms.23andme.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Liz-Quote-372x372.jpg 372w, https://blogcms.23andme.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Liz-Quote-574x574.jpg 574w, https://blogcms.23andme.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Liz-Quote-980x980.jpg 980w, https://blogcms.23andme.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Liz-Quote.jpg 1000w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /> 
Abandoned in a laundry mat as an infant, Liz Kellner used 23andMe and ultimately found her sisters and biological parents.
<a href="https://www.23andme.org/blog/articles/an-unexpected-discovery">An Unexpected Discovery</a> 
Cody tested to find out more about his health, but in the process he found his biological parents and half siblings. He also learned that he&#8217;d been conceived when his mother was a young teen and that&#8217;s why he&#8217;d been put up for adoption.
<a href="https://www.23andme.org/blog/articles/its-a-girl">It’s A Girl</a> 
Although not an adoptee story, Kelli&#8217;s story highlights some of the anxiety many go through when trying to connect with a biological parent. They simply don&#8217;t know how it will play out. For Kelli the experience was a good one. She used 23andMe to help her find her biological father. Once she made the connection her biological father, who hadn’t known of her birth, welcomed her into the family.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-21348 size-thumbnail" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Jeremy-small-quote-150x150.jpg" alt="A photo of an adult son who found his biological father using 23andMe and how the two later became friends: “I am awed by how this happened.” " width="150" height="150" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Jeremy-small-quote-150x150.jpg 150w, https://blogcms.23andme.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Jeremy-small-quote.jpg 200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /> 
An adult son connects with his biological father and they become friends.
<a href="https://www.23andme.org/blog/articles/a-siblings-story-from-23andme">A Siblings Story</a> 
Using 23andMe Tricia found her half brother and half sister. They were able to tell her more about her biological father and the three of them met and became friends.
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