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Genetics just got personal. So boasted the website of 23andMe in 2008, just after launching its DNA testing service.

As we entered this decade, a small cohort of companies 23andMe, its Silicon Valley neighbor Navigenics, and Icelandic competitor deCODE Genetics were selling a future of personalized medicine: Patients would hold the keys to longer and healthier lives by understanding the risks written into their DNA and working with their doctors to reduce them.

We all carry this information, and if we bring it together and democratize it, we could really change health care, 23andMe cofounder Anne Wojcicki told Time magazine when it dubbed the companys DNA test 2008s invention of the year, beating out Elon Musks Tesla Roadster.

But in reality, the 2010s would be when genetics got social. As the decade comes to a close, few of us have discussed our genes with our doctors, but millions of us have uploaded our DNA profiles to online databases to fill in the details of our family trees, explore our ethnic roots, and find people who share overlapping sequences of DNA.

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Its become like Facebook for genes, driven by the same fundamental human desire to connect. And, as with Mark Zuckerbergs social media behemoth, this is the decade we reckoned with what it really means to hand over some of our most personal data in the process.

A 23andMe saliva collection kit for DNA testing.

It all panned out differently from the way I imagined in 2009, when I paid $985 to deCODE and $399 to 23andMe to put my DNA into the service of science journalism. (I spared my then-employer, New Scientist magazine, the $2,500 charge for the boutique service offered by Navigenics.)

I was intrigued by the potential of DNA testing for personalized medicine, but from the beginning, I was also concerned about privacy. I imagined a future in which people could steal our medical secrets by testing the DNA we leave lying around on discarded tissues and coffee cups. In 2009, a colleague and I showed that all it took to hack my genome in this way was a credit card, a private email account, a mailing address, and DNA testing companies willing to do business without asking questions.

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Much of the rest of what I wrote about DNA testing back then reflected pushback from leading geneticists who argued that the companies visions of personalized medicine werent ready for primetime.

As I explored the reports offered by 23andMe and deCODE, I couldnt help but agree especially when deCODE wrongly concluded that I carry two copies of a variant of a gene that would give me a 40% lifetime chance of developing Alzheimers. (Luckily, it wasnt cause for panic. Id pored over my DNA in enough detail by then to know that I carry only one copy, giving me a still-elevated but much less scary lifetime risk of about 13%.)

Despite such glitches, it still seemed that medicine was where the payoffs of mainstream genetic testing were going to be. As costs to sequence the entire genome plummeted, I expected gene-testing firms to switch from using gene chips that scan hundreds of thousands of genetic markers to new sequencing technology that would allow them to record all 3 billion letters of our DNA.

So in 2012, eager to provide our readers with a preview of what was to come, New Scientist paid $999 for me to have my exome sequenced in a pilot project offered by 23andMe. This is the 1.5% of the genome that is read to make proteins and is where the variants that affect our health are most likely to lurk.

Experts at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee analyzed my exome. While they werent at that point able to tell me much of medical significance that I didnt already know, the article I wrote from the experience in 2013 predicted a future in which doctors would routinely scour their patients genomes for potential health problems and prescribe drugs that have been specifically designed to correct the biochemical pathways concerned.

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Im glad I included an important caveat: This may take several decades.

By then, the revolution promised by 23andMe and its competitors was faltering. Navigenics and deCODE had both been acquired by bigger companies and stopped selling DNA tests directly to the public.

23andMe, backed by the deep pockets of Google and other Silicon Valley investors, had enough cash to continue. But it fell foul of the FDA, which had decided that the company was selling medical devices that needed official approval to be put on the market. In a 2013 warning letter, the FDA said that 23andMe had failed to provide adequate evidence that its tests produced accurate results. By the end of 2013, 23andMe had stopped offering assessments of health risks to new customers.

Since then, the company has slowly clawed its way back into the business of health. In 2015, it was given FDA approval to tell customers whether they were carriers for a number of inherited diseases; in 2017, it started providing new customers with assessments of health risks once more.

I recently updated my 23andMe account, getting tested on the latest version of its chip. My results included reports on my genetic risk of experiencing 13 medical conditions. Back in 2013, there were more than 100 such reports, plus assessments of my likely responses to a couple dozen drugs.

In the lab, discovery has continued at a pace, but relatively few findings have found their way into the clinic.

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If youve recently been pregnant, you were probably offered blood tests to tell whether your fetus had a serious genetic abnormality. And if youve been diagnosed with cancer, a biopsy may have been sequenced to look for mutations that make some drugs a good bet and other ones a bust. Neither would have been common a decade ago.

But the wider health care revolution envisaged by Wojcicki remains far off.

A few weeks ago, I saw my doctor to discuss my moderately high blood cholesterol and had a conversation that Id once predicted would be common by now. I had signed up for a project called MyGeneRank, which took my 23andMe data and calculated my genetic risk of experiencing coronary artery disease based on 57 genetic markers, identified in a 2015 study involving more than 180,000 people.

My genetic risk turns out to be fairly low. After I pulled out my phone and showed my doctor the app detailing my results, we decided to hold off on taking a statin for now, while I make an effort to improve my diet and exercise more. But it was clear from her reaction that patients dont usually show up wanting to talk about their DNA.

We have all these naysayers and an immense body of research that is not being used to help patients, said Eric Topol, director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute in La Jolla, California, which runs the MyGeneRank project.

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Joseph James DeAngelo, the suspected "Golden State Killer," appears in court for his arraignment in Sacramento, April 27, 2018.

23andMes collision with the FDA wound up being a turning point in ways I didnt anticipate at the time. From the start, the company included an assessment of customers ancestries as part of the package. But after the FDA cracked down, it pivoted to make ancestry and finding genetic relatives its main focus. Offering the test at just $99, 23andMe went on a marketing blitz to expand its customer base competing with a new rival.

Ancestry.com launched its genome-scanning service in May 2012 and has since gone head-to-head with 23andMe through dueling TV ads and Black Friday discount deals.

DNA tests became an affordable stocking filler, as millions of customers were sold a journey of self-discovery and human connection. We were introduced to new genetic relatives. And we were told that the results might make us want to trade in our lederhosen for a kilt or connect us to distant African ancestors.

Today, Ancestrys database contains some 15 million DNA profiles; 23andMes more than 10 million. Family Tree DNA and MyHeritage, the two other main players, have about 3.5 million DNA profiles between them. And for the most dedicated family history enthusiasts, there is GEDmatch, where customers can upload DNA profiles from any of the main testing companies and look for potential relatives. It contains about 1.2 million DNA profiles.

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So far, so much fun. But DNA testing can reveal uncomfortable truths, too. Families have been torn apart by the discovery that the man they call Dad is not the biological father of his children. Home DNA tests can also be used to show that a relative is a rapist or a killer.

That possibility burst into the public consciousness in April 2018, with the arrest of Joseph James DeAngelo, alleged to be the Golden State Killer responsible for at least 13 killings and more than 50 rapes in the 1970s and 1980s. DeAngelo was finally tracked down after DNA left at the scene of a 1980 double murder was matched to people in GEDmatch who were the killer's third or fourth cousins. Through months of painstaking work, investigators working with the genealogist Barbara Rae-Venter built family trees that converged on DeAngelo.

Genealogists had long realized that databases like GEDmatch could be used in this way, but had been wary of working with law enforcement fearing that DNA test customers would object to the idea of cops searching their DNA profiles and rummaging around in their family trees.

But the Golden State Killers crimes were so heinous that the anticipated backlash initially failed to materialize. Indeed, a May 2018 survey of more than 1,500 US adults found that 80% backed police using public genealogy databases to solve violent crimes.

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I was very surprised with the Golden State Killer case how positive the reaction was across the board, CeCe Moore, a genealogist known for her appearances on TV, told BuzzFeed News a couple of months after DeAngelos arrest.

The new science of forensic genetic genealogy quickly became a burgeoning business, as a company in Virginia called Parabon NanoLabs, which already had access to more than 100 crime scene samples through its efforts to produce facial reconstructions from DNA, teamed up with Moore to work cold cases through genealogy.

Before long, Parabon and Moore were identifying suspected killers and rapists at the rate of about one a week. Intrigued, my editor and I decided to see how easy it would be to identify 10 BuzzFeed employees from their DNA profiles, mimicking Parabons methods. In the end, I found four through matches to their relatives DNA profiles and another two thanks to their distinctive ancestry. It was clear that genetic genealogy was already a powerful investigative tool and would only get more so as DNA databases continued to grow.

A backlash did come, however, after two developments revealed by BuzzFeed News in 2019. In January, Family Tree DNA disclosed that it had allowed the FBI to search its database for partial matches to crime-scene samples since the previous fall without telling its customers. I feel they have violated my trust, Leah Larkin, a genetic genealogist based in Livermore, California, told BuzzFeed News at the time.

Then, in May, BuzzFeed News reported that police in Centerville, Utah, had convinced Curtis Rogers, a retired Florida businessperson who cofounded GEDmatch, to breach the sites own terms and conditions, which were supposed to restrict law enforcement use to investigations of homicides or sexual assaults. That allowed Parabon to use matches in the database to identify the perpetrator of a violent assault.

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Larkin and other genealogists condemned the move, calling it the start of a slippery slope that would see the method being used to investigate more trivial crimes.

As barbs flew between genealogists working with law enforcement and those who advocate for genetic privacy, GEDmatch responded with new terms of service that extended the definition of violent crime, but also required users to explicitly opt in for their DNA profiles to be included in law enforcement searches.

Overnight, GEDmatch became useless for criminal investigations. Since then, the number of users opting in for matching to crime-scene samples has slowly increased, and now stands at more than 200,000. But progress in cracking criminal cases has remained slow.

Now that cops have seen the power of forensic genetic genealogy, however, they dont want to let it go. In November, the New York Times revealed that a detective in Florida had obtained a warrant to search the entirety of GEDmatch, regardless of opt-ins. It seems only a matter of time before someone tries to serve a warrant to search the huge databases of 23andMe or Ancestry, which dont give cops access sparking legal battles that could go all the way to the Supreme Court.

Genetic privacy, barely mentioned as millions of us signed up to connect with family across the world and dig into our ancestral roots, is suddenly front and center.

This week, Rogers and the other cofounder of GEDmatch, John Olson, removed themselves from the heat when they sold GEDmatch to Verogen, a company in San Diego that makes equipment to sequence crime-scene DNA. Verogen CEO Brett Williams told BuzzFeed News that he sees a business opportunity in charging police for access to the database but promised to respect users privacy. Were not going to force people to opt in, he said.

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But it isnt just whether cops can run searches against your DNA. 23andMe may not share your information with law enforcement, but customers are asked when they signed up whether if they are OK with their de-identified DNA being used for genetic research.

It might not be obvious when you fill in the consent form, but this lies at the heart of 23andMes business model. The reason the company pushed so hard to expand its database of DNA profiles is to use this data in research to develop new drugs, either by itself or by striking deals with pharmaceutical companies.

Ancestry has also asked its users to consent to participate in research, teaming up with partners that have included Calico, a Google spinoff researching ways to extend human lifespan.

You might be comfortable with all of this. You might not. You should definitely think about it because when the information is your own DNA, there really is no such thing as de-identified data.

That DNA profile is inextricably tied to your identity. It might be stripped of your name and decoupled from the credit card you used to pay for the test. But as 23andMe warns in its privacy policy: In the event of a data breach it is possible that your data could be associated with your identity, which could be used against your interests.

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And because you share a large part of your genome with close relatives, when you put your DNA profile into a companys database, you arent only making a decision for yourself: Their privacy is on the line, too.

Whether its due to concerns about privacy, a saturated market, or just that the novelty has worn off, sales of DNA ancestry tests are slowing. Ancestry has responded by offering a new product focused on health risks. Unlike 23andMe, it requires that tests are ordered through PWNHealth, a national network of doctors and genetic counselors.

Will this be the development that takes us back to the future I once imagined? Maybe so, but if the roller coaster of the past decade has taught me anything, its to be wary about making any predictions about our genetic future.

Peter Aldhous is a Science Reporter for BuzzFeed News and is based in San Francisco.

Contact Peter Aldhous at peter.aldhous@buzzfeed.com.

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Were Living In The DNA Future, But Its Not The One We Were Promised - BuzzFeed News

OG DNA Genetics recently disclosed a licensing agreement in conjunction with Green Peak Innovations, a medical cannabis producer and distributor in the Michigan market.

This arrangement will concede Green Peak Innovations consent to the DNA brand and access to their genetics portfolio for use at the companys cannabis cultivation and processing plant in Harvest Park, Michigan. Additionally to growing DNA genetics, Green Peak has entered the retail sector, with several locations around the state.

The recent permit of adult-use cannabis police in Michigan will enable Green Peak to supply recreational and medical users high-quality strains.

Want to hear exclusive updates on the adult-use licensing process? Check out the next meetup with MRA Executive Director, Andrew Brisbo on Dec. 18 at the Benzinga Headquarters! Get your tickets here before they sell out!

"By partnering with Green Peak Innovations, we position ourselves to expand into the rapidly developing Michigan cannabis market alongside a proven and trusted cannabis producer and distributor," said Charles Phillips, CEO of DNA Genetics.

Jeff Radway, CEO of Green Peak Innovations said, "We appreciate what DNA has accomplished for the cannabis industry and are excited to partner with them. We believe that by incorporating DNAs library of best-in-class cultivars and award-winning genetics into our facility, we can further enhance our ability to deliver the highest-quality products to Michigan and eventually the entire United States."

2019 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

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DNA Genetics Announces Agreement With Green Peak To Make The Most Of Michigan Adult-Use Cannabis Market - Benzinga

Jens Carlsson of the UCD School of Biology is co-founder of the Area 52 research group that aims to solve a variety of genetic questions.

After completing his PhD in 2001, followed by a stint at the Danish Institute for Freshwater Research in Silkeborg, assistant professor Jens Carlsson travelled to the US in 2002 to work as a postdoc at the Virginia Institute for Marine Science.

In 2007, he was appointed a visiting associate professor at Duke University, North Carolina, to research the population structure of striped sea bass.

In 2009, he travelled to Ireland to work at University College Cork as a senior research fellow, which included work on deep sea vessels. Then, in 2012, he made the move to University College Dublin and established his research group, Area 52.

Too many people have been watching the CSI TV series and have strange ideas of how a modern genetics laboratory works JENS CARLSSON

I think I have had an interest in fish since I was introduced to fishing as a kid. While completing my BSc project, I was fascinated by the questions you could ask and answer using scientific approaches.

The freedom that academic research has for coming up with projects and then sourcing funding, to actually examine these questions, was probably the reason why I stayed on in science.

The research group Area 52 quickly developed when I started working in UCD. It is now a rather diverse group and we take on research questions from a wide range of disciplines from viral diseases in fish to identification of human remains.

It is the use of genetic methods that allows us to work with these very diverse questions and, so far, all organisms have DNA or RNA so there are a huge variety of questions that we can address.

This also means that we collaborate with a large number of colleagues. While we have the genetic expertise, we also need to work with people who understand the biology and ecology of the organisms.

When Area 52 started, it was only myself and my wife and lab manager in the lab group. But now it has grown significantly and consists of undergraduates, summer interns, visiting students, MSc students, PhD candidates, postdocs, research fellows and research scientists.

I believe that genetics has the capacity to answer questions that no other research field can do.

For example, when you look at marine fish, there are no clear barriers preventing different populations from mixing. However, this does not mean that the fish all belong to the same biological unit or population.

While fish from multiple biological units can mix at feeding areas, they often return to specific spawning sites with each spawning site representing a single biological unit.

Multiple species have been shown using genetics separated into different populations to represent different biological units. This has profound implications for the management of fisheries species, as the level where management needs to take place is natural biological units and this might differ depending on the time of the year.

You might have multiple populations mixing at feeding grounds and it is very difficult to say which fish came from which population when being caught in commercial fisheries as they tend to look the same. However, by using genetic tools we are able to say which individual belongs to which population.

Furthermore, Area 52 has a strong focus on developing non-invasive sampling methods for studies of terrestrial mammals such as elephants, zebras and giraffes primarily in Kenya.

It is often very difficult and invasive to collect genetic material for these animals. We focus on using scat samples that are completely non-invasive. The animal does its business and we collect the scat and use that as source of genetic material.

Area 52 often works with method development and these methods can obviously be used in the commercial world. For example, the management of fisheries species and the integrity of supply chains.

However, the main focus of the lab is in deploying the methods we develop in conservation and environmental monitoring of water ecosystems.

It is always difficult to find time to do the research. You are teaching, mentoring, doing research and administration. At the same time, you need to secure funding for your research and that is difficult.

This is not only because of the lack of time, but also because of the strong competition among researchers for the very limited funding. This means that you can spend significant time on writing a grant application and then it is not funded. I wish the success rate of grants would be higher.

Too many people have been watching the CSI TV series and have strange ideas of how a modern genetics laboratory works.

The big question is climate change and how that will affect distribution and survival of species. This is a very important question requiring collaboration among a large number of researchers from many different fields of science.

Are you a researcher with an interesting project to share? Let us know by emailing editorial@siliconrepublic.com with the subject line Science Uncovered.

See the article here:
Fishy genetics: A behind-the-scenes look at UCD's Area 52 - Siliconrepublic.com

OG DNA Genetics recently disclosed a licensing agreement in conjunction with Green Peak Innovations, a medical cannabis producer and distributor in the Michigan market.

This arrangement will concede Green Peak Innovations consent to the DNA brand and access to their genetics portfolio for use at the companys cannabis cultivation and processing plant in Harvest Park, Michigan. Additionally to growing DNA genetics, Green Peak has entered the retail sector, with several locations around the state.

The recent permit of adult-use cannabis police in Michigan will enable Green Peak to supply recreational and medical users high-quality strains.

Want to hear exclusive updates on the adult-use licensing process? Check out the next meetup with MRA Executive Director, Andrew Brisbo on Dec. 18 at the Benzinga Headquarters! Get your tickets here before they sell out!

"By partnering with Green Peak Innovations, we position ourselves to expand into the rapidly developing Michigan cannabis market alongside a proven and trusted cannabis producer and distributor," said Charles Phillips, CEO of DNA Genetics.

Jeff Radway, CEO of Green Peak Innovations said, "We appreciate what DNA has accomplished for the cannabis industry and are excited to partner with them. We believe that by incorporating DNAs library of best-in-class cultivars and award-winning genetics into our facility, we can further enhance our ability to deliver the highest-quality products to Michigan and eventually the entire United States."

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2019 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

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DNA Genetics Announces Agreement With Green Peak To Make The Most Of Michigan Adult-Use Cannabis Market - Yahoo Finance

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 10, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- OG DNA Genetics (DNA or the Company), a globally recognized leading cannabis brand, today announced a licensing agreement (the Agreement) with Green Peak Innovations (Green Peak or GPI), the leading producer and distributor of medical and adult-use cannabis in the Michigan market.

This Agreement will grant Green Peak Innovations license to the DNA brand and access to their proprietary library of award-winning genetics for use at the companys state-of-the-art, 73,000-square-foot cannabis cultivation and processing facility in Harvest Park, Michigan. In addition to cultivating DNA genetics, Green Peak has expanded its vertically integrated business to include premium retail stores, with locations currently open around the state. The recent passage of adult-use cannabis laws in Michigan will allow Green Peak to offer recreational and medical consumers the highest quality strains in the market.

By partnering with Green Peak Innovations, we position ourselves to expand into the rapidly developing Michigan cannabis market alongside a proven and trusted cannabis producer and distributor, said Charles Phillips, CEO of DNA Genetics. Green Peak Innovations commitment to best practices, the highest-quality products and emphasis on integrity perfectly align with what we look for in potential licensing partners.

For more than 15 years, genetics developed by DNA have won more than 200 awards in all categories at the most prestigious cannabis events around the world, making DNA the global standard in breeding and growing truly best-in-class strains. These awards include the High Times Top 10 Strain of the Year, which was inducted into The High Times seedbank hall of fame in 2009, the High Times 100 list of the most influential people in the industry and theHigh Times Trailer BlazersAward, for contributions made towards uniting the fields ofentrepreneurship, politics and medicine.

We appreciate what DNA has accomplished for the cannabis industry and are excited to partner with them. We believe that by incorporating DNAs library of best-in-class cultivars and award-winning genetics into our facility, we can further enhance our ability to deliver the highest-quality products to Michigan and eventually the entire United States, said Jeff Radway, CEO of Green Peak Innovations.

Consumers in Michigan can expect to see DNA genetics available in Green Peaks Skymint-branded retail stores and via provisioning centers around the state under the companys North Cannabis wholesale brand as soon as Summer 2020.

About OG DNA Genetics Inc.

DNA was rooted in Los Angeles and founded in Amsterdam in 2004 by Don Morris and Aaron Yarkoni. Over the last decade, the Company has built and curated a seasoned genetic library and developed proven standard operating procedures for genetic selection, breeding, and cultivation. In a world that is increasingly opening up to commercial cannabis activity, DNA is positioned to become the first, truly geographically-diversified company with multiple partnerships with top-licensed producers and brands that have built their companies and global presence utilizing the Powered by DNA model. For more information, please visit http://www.dnagenetics.com.

For further information, please contact Rezwan Khan, Vice President, Global Corporate Development at rezwan@dnagenetics.com

About Green Peak Innovations

Green Peak Innovations is Michigans leading vertically integrated cannabis company and the states largest medical and recreational license holder. With two state-of-the-art indoor grow facilities, the company cultivates, processes, markets and distributes a full range of branded cannabis products, including Skymint, North Cannabis, Jolly, Evoxe Laboratories, Agata and St. Jade. GPI products can be found at the companys Skymint provisioning centers and via the North brand, retailers around Michigan through a robust wholesale network.

As purveyors of premium-crafted cannabis, weve developed a portfolio of the finest cannabis brands available for daily wellness, healing or just getting high on life. GPI inspires individuals to UNLOCK their mental, physical and spiritual potential through cannabis.

For more information, visit http://www.greenpeakinnovations.com.

Media Contact: Jordan Walker, jwalker@identitypr.com.

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DNA Genetics Announces Strategic Partnership With Green Peak Innovations Signaling Their Entry Into the Michigan Medical and Adult Use Cannabis...

Its that time of year again an avalanche of ads urging us to drool into tubes so companies can spit back verdicts on our pasts, presents, and futures. Judging from my emails, those unceasing ads have inspired many questions about genetics in general.

Among the emails that pinged in recently:

So I started a list of my e-mails, with apologies to Hillary, and extracted three recurring themes: transgender identity, when a human life begins, and by far the largest group: interpreting DNA test results, either consumer or clinical.

What do you think about a new studythat found 20 genetic markers of transgender identity? asked a reporter from The Times of London In March 2018. Id suggested just such a study a year earlier, which hed found here.

Impressed with the study, I agreed to comment. But the reporter forgot to distinguish me from the researcher, and so throughout Europe, I was suddenly an expert on transgender genes. And that inspired some telling emails.

The first, from a trans woman born in 1948, shared her 70-page story:

As far back as I can remember I thought nothing of going into my mothers closet, pulling down her nightgowns, and putting them on. They were soft, they smelled of her, and they felt so perfect. This was me. Everything feminine fascinated me. Anything male repelled me. I wanted to emerge myself in the female world. But no matter what I did, I just couldnt look like Mommy.

Another transgender woman wrote:

I would love to have that degree of certainty that a genetic study would show. Parents would be able to perhaps work with their children instead of ignoring it either intentionally or out of ignorance.

A recent email from 58-year-old Edith brought up nature v nurture:

Two of my nine nieces and nephews are transitioning. My family has an overall fluid concept of gender identity, which we discussed with each other before either child made it known they were trans. I find myself wondering if this is true in other families.

Me too.

I repost 17 timepoints whenever womens reproductive rights are threatened, or I read or hear a comment that indicates ignorance of biology. The idea of the list came to me when considering that an embryos genome turns on at day 5, but it cant possibly exist at that point outside of a womans body.

One woman asked about fetal rights. Her ex had given her an herbal abortion tea without her knowledge when she was pregnant. Her baby so far is healthy, but she wants a court to recognize the tea-poisoning as child abuse. At what point in utero does a fetus have rights? It seems to vary state to state, she wrote.

Celia Collias, a statistics major at the University of North Carolina, offered a compelling perspective: distinguishing two types of viability. Natural ability to be physiologically independent for a human fetus is around 24 weeks. Technologically assisted viability for a human fetus is 21 weeks.

If we dont use natural viability as the cut off for reproductive rights, Ms. Collias argues, then those rights will erode as technology sets back the age of assisted viability:

Technologically assisted viability is not free. If we allow that to be the benchmark, its going to cost society a lot to care for all those fetuses where would that money come from?

Good question.

Is he really my brother? asked the woman who sent me scanned columns of genetic markers. I circled 16 of 38 that they share and sent it back: Yes.

I dont have mutations in BRCA1 or 2, so Im ok, right? I do have a mutation in ATM (or p53 or CHEK2 or PTEN or RAD51 or a few dozenothers). Inherited mutations for cancer risk go beyond the most common ones in the BRCA pair, and altogether they account for only 5 percent of cases. Yes, shes at high risk.

BRCA brings up the limited variant problem. Consumer DNA tests, for cancer or single-gene diseases, are likely to check for only the most common variants, such as a handful of mutations in the CFTR gene behind cystic fibrosis, which has more than 1,700. These health reports may provide a false sense of reassurance and should not be used for making any health decisions without confirmation testing, said Edward Esplin, MD, of Invitae, a clinical testing company, at the American Society of Human Genetics conference in October, catalyzing a flood of headlines.

I had a prenatal screen for 125 genes and one is a variant of uncertain significance. What the heck is a VUS? Do I have a mutation or not?

A VUS is a gene variant that isnt common, but hasnt shown up in someone with a disease and reported in the medical literature. Yet. I explain here.

My ethnicity estimate changed overnight. Huh? When an ancestry company adds a new group to its database of reference populations, the sections of those pie charts can shift, or a new one appear.

Im 20 weeks pregnant. The fetus has a microduplication of chromosome 18. Is that a problem? The healthy dad-to-be also had the tiny extra bit of DNA. So, no.

I just found out that I have an extra Y chromosome. Ive had severe acne since my early teens, and today Im 62 and weigh 295 pounds. Im a biker, football player, and served time for selling pot. Did my extra chromosome get me arrested?

Probably not. Being in the wrong place at the wrong time, before decriminalization, was more likely at fault.

Because most of my email brings up medical matters, heres a short guide to getting help in making sense of DNA test results related to health. (For interpreting ancestry findings, the International Society of Genetic Genealogy is an excellent resource.)

Its important to distinguish consumer DNA tests, which anyone can take by purchasing a kit and spitting or swizzling a cheekbrush, from clinical DNA tests, which a health care provider orders and the FDAs Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) regulate.

Like mushrooms materializing after a warm rain, articles, websites, books and companies are springing up to help consumers navigate test-taking and interpretation.

Finding an expert specifically trained at the graduate level in genetics a genetic counselor, PhD geneticist, or MD with genetics/genomics training is challenging because their priorities are in clinical testing, not the entertainment/education space that the consumer companies so ceaselessly promote. Other scientists may be helpful molecular biologists, biochemists but genetics as a discipline transcends DNA, including developmental, transmission, and population and evolutionary genetics too. Ancestry testing in particular melds these levels of genetics.

Assuming a sit-down with an expert to intrepret consumer DNA data isnt happening easily, here are some places to turn.

A longstanding helpful website is Genetics Home Reference, from the NIH.

A newer resource is this report from ConsumersAdvocate.org. Their researchers recently sent DNA anonymously to 9 leading consumer DNA testing companies, interpreted the data, and then wrote a detailed, clear analysis that compares the services, privacy/security measures, online resources, and cost of tests.

Consumer DNA testing is a fast-growing industry with over 26 million users worldwide. That number is expected to grow to 100 million by 2021, Sam Klau, Community Outreach at the organization, told me.

An excellent new book is DNA Nation: How the Internet of Genes is Changing Your Life, by PhD molecular biologist Sergio Pistoi. And my human genetics textbook will be out in a new edition in September. Ive added a chapter called The Genetics of Identity, inspired by having my past rewritten recently thanks to ancestry testing.

The testing company websites, like that of 23andme, provide clear and well-written info on interpreting test results. But without any prior knowledge of genetics, misinterpretation and misplaced angst can arise.

Does the average person know the difference in significance between revealing a pattern of genome-wide single-base variations (SNPs) associated with elevated risk of a trait or illness, and detecting a well-studied mutation in a single gene?

The raw data dump from consumer DNA testing can be overwhelming, and to paraphrase Elizabeth Warren: Theres a company for that. A consumer can pay to avoid bushwhacking through dense SNP forests.

Strategene, for example, is a genetic reporting tool that uses 23andMe data to identify SNPs in a few dozen well-studied, health-related genes, and not every SNP under the sun. The $45 is a sound investment; it would take hours to sort through Google Scholar to DIY. But the client needs to know about the limited variant issue of checking only for common SNPs.

(I was briefly fooled into confusing the company with 1980s biotech giant Stratagene, but its off by one letter and one capitalization. The only person named on the company website is a naturopath referred to many times as Dr., which wouldnt necessarily denote a genetics expert.)

Im curious to see how soon the medical profession catches up. Right now, genetic counselors in the US number only about 5,000. But professional organizations are stepping in. The American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics, for example, offers online continuing medical education, ACMG Genetics 101 for Healthcare Providers.

But doctors Ive encountered recently still go deer-in-the-headlights when I ask a genetics question, just to be obnoxious. And so a company like ActXmakes sense in helping medical professionals keep pace with the growing tide of patients coming in waving consumer DNA test results. The company helps physicians and patients apply 23andMe raw data to select drugs, order clinical tests to help diagnose specific conditions, and to confirm carrier status for single-gene diseases.

When I started my career as a Drosophila geneticist, mutating flies to grow legs out of their heads, I never imagined at-home DNA testing. When I started my career as a science writer and textbook author, I still couldnt have predicted at-home DNA testing. Now that its here, Im thrilled that DNA science has become so much more tangible and practical. Yet we must use the information in our strings of A, C, T, and G wisely.

Ricki Lewis is the GLPs senior contributing writer focusing on gene therapy and gene editing. She has a PhD in genetics and is a genetic counselor, science writer and author of The Forever Fix: Gene Therapy and the Boy Who Saved It, the only popular book about gene therapy. BIO. Follow her at her website or Twitter @rickilewis

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Does the 'genetics revolution' unsettle you? Here is a guide, and reasons to be hopeful - Genetic Literacy Project

ALISO VIEJO, Calif., Dec. 10, 2019 /PRNewswire/ --Researchers atAmbry Genetics(Ambry), a leading clinical genetic testing lab, will announce new data showing that conducting RNA and DNA tests for hereditary cancer risk at the same time identifies more patients with mutations that increase cancer risk than DNA testing alone. To be presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS) this week, the data come from a study of 746 patients with breast cancer that received +RNAinsight, paired RNA and DNA genetic testing for hereditary cancer risk.

Standard DNA testing for hereditary cancer risk excludes large portions of DNA, thereby missing some mutations. In addition, DNA testing can produce inconclusive results and fail to determine that an error in our DNA increases cancer risk. These limitations impact patients and their families because doctors may not have the information needed to recommend appropriate preventive, early detection, or therapeutic steps. Additionally, relatives may not be referred for genetic testing and obtain the care they would otherwise have gotten if they had learned they had mutations.

Adding RNA to DNA testing overcomes these limitations for a substantial number of patients as it provides considerably more evidence than DNA testing alone about whether our DNA has mutations.

The data showed that adding RNA genetic testing to DNA testing increased the diagnostic yield the number of people found to have a mutation that increases cancer risk across 16 hereditary breast and/or ovarian cancer genes. As a result of +RNAinsight, five breast cancer patients were identified to have mutations in clinically-actionable genes that would have otherwise been missed completely or the patient would have received inconclusive results if they had received DNA testing only. These findings included three women with mutations in BRCA1/2, one woman with a mutation in ATM, and one woman with a mutation in PMS2. Additionally, paired RNA and DNA genetic testing decreased the number of inconclusive results, giving patients more definitive answers about whether their breast cancers were hereditary. Additional results will be presented on an expanded breast cancer cohort at the meeting on Saturday, December 14th.

"These data further prove that paired RNA and DNA genetic testing for hereditary cancer should be the industry standard," said Holly LaDuca, MS, CGC, senior manager of Ambry's clinical affairs research. "Our research has consistently shown that +RNAinsight provides clinicians with more accurate results, better informing patient care."

Researchers from Ambry will also present at SABCS new data from a pre-and post-test clinician survey that assessed how genetic testing for hereditary cancer impacted medical management, such as screening recommendations. The survey found that positive genetic testing results frequently lead to changes in management recommendations in both high risk (e.g. BRCA1) and moderate risk (e.g. ATM) genes. Changes to mammogram, breast MRI, and/or preventive surgery options were reported in 77.3% of positive individuals. Moreover, medical management changes largely adhered to published guidelines, indicating that cliniciansare applying recommendations appropriately based on test results.

"With this survey data, clinicians are showing us that they truly do use genetic testing results to implement personalized recommendations, which can be life-saving for a patient," said Carrie Horton, MS, CGC, senior researcher in Ambry's clinical affairs team. "These data provide further evidence that genetic testing is essential to comprehensive cancer care. Continued study in this area will aid clinicians, laboratories, health plans, and ultimately patients."

Below are summaries of each of the four studies that Ambry will present at SABCS 2019.

Friday, December 13, 5:00- 7:00 PM CST

P5-07-06,Black M, et. al., Performance of Polygenic Risk Score Combined with Clinical Assessment for Breast Cancer Risk

Saturday, December 14, 7:00 9:00 AM CST

P6-08-35,Horton C, et. al., Impact of Multigene Panel Testing on Medical Management: Preliminary Results of a Pre- and Post- Test Clinician Survey

P6-08-08,LaDuca H, et. al., Concurrent DNA and RNA Genetic Testing Identifies More Patients with Hereditary Breast Cancer than DNA Testing Alone

P6-08-04,Yadav S, et. al., Germline Mutations in Cancer Predisposition Genes in Patients with Invasive Lobular Carcinoma of the Breast

ABOUT AMBRY GENETICS

Ambry Genetics, as part of Konica Minolta Precision Medicine, excels at translating scientific research into clinically actionable test results based upon a deep understanding of the human genome and the biology behind genetic disease. Our unparalleled track record of discoveries over 20 years, and growing database that continues to expand in collaboration with academic, corporate and pharmaceutical partners, means we are first to market with innovative products and comprehensive analysis that enable clinicians to confidently inform patient health decisions. We care about what happens to real people, their families, and the people they love, and remain dedicated to providing them and their clinicians with deeper knowledge and fresh insights, so together they can make informed, potentially life-altering healthcare decisions. For more information, please visitambrygen.com.

For more information on risk factors for hereditary cancer, please visit cancer.gov's fact sheet on hereditary cancer and genetic testing.

ABOUT +RNAINSIGHT

+RNAinsight, paired with Ambry Genetics' hereditary cancer DNA tests, uses next-generation sequencing to concurrently analyze a patient's DNA and RNA, another layer of genetic information. +RNAinsight identifies more patients who have mutations that increase their cancer risks than through standard DNA-only testing by overcoming limitations of DNA testing. +RNAinsight enables more accurate identification of patients with increased genetic risks for cancer, finds actionable results that may otherwise be missed, and decreases the frequency of inconclusive results. +RNAinsight is now available through doctors and genetic counselors around the country. For more information on +RNAinsight, please go toambrygen.com/RNAinsight.

Press Contact:Liz Squirepress@ambrygen.com (202) 617-4662

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SOURCE Ambry Genetics

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New Data from Ambry Genetics Showed Concurrent RNA and DNA Testing Identified More Patients with Hereditary Breast Cancer than DNA Testing Alone -...

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Halo Labs Inc. (Halo or the Company) (NEO: HALO, OTCQX: AGEEF, Germany: A9KN) is pleased to announce that it has signed a strategic partnership agreement with OG DNA Genetics Inc. (DNA Genetics), one of the most awarded names in cannabis, to exclusively develop its genetics in Oregon through breeding, growing, phenotyping and processing. The initial term of the partnership agreement is five years with successive five-year renewals.

Partnership Highlights

- DNA Genetics has garnered over 180 awards in the cannabis industry including High Times top 10 strain of the year, seedbank Hall of Fame, and Trail Blazers award

- Their strains and derivative products command a premium in the market and are highly demanded by cannabis consumers

- 5-year exclusive partnership will expand on Halos already prominent genetics library to establish a new standard of cannabis in Oregon

- Partnership aligns with the 1 acre increase in the grow operation in East Evans Creek

- Halo will be only grower and manufacturer of DNA Genetics brand products in Oregon

Founded in Amsterdam in 2004, DNA Genetics is a leading influencer in the global cannabis industry, developing high-quality seeds using a professional, responsible and technical approach. DNA Genetics created some of the most well-known products by combining high quality genetics and expert growing practices. With a win in every single category of the HIGH TIMES Cannabis Cup, many of the top seed companies in the industry use DNA within their breeding programs.

DNA will take that expertise and award-winning track record to produce strains that will be exclusive to Halo in the state of Oregon. The exclusivity requires that companies in Oregon that seek access to the DNA strains must license them from Halo.

Andreas Met, Co-founder and COO of Halo commented, We have seen that consumers demand quality and the top brands in our industry. DNA Genetics provides just that. We expect that demand for our products across the board will benefit from the co-branding opportunities this alliance presents. Mr. Met went on to state, Our recent cultivation expansion provides us an opportunity to capitalize on the DNA Genetics partnership. We will refine genetics of the cannabis that Halo currently produces while introducing new DNA strains into circulation.

We are very excited to partner with Halo Labs. They have an impressive footprint with first-class established product categories, said Charles Phillips, CEO of DNA Genetics. This is a multiplier for two fast-growing cannabis companies with additional partnership opportunities on the horizon. With both companies actively expanding business activities and global footprint we expect this to be a very successful and mutually beneficial partnership.

Commenting on the full potential Kiran Sidhu, Co-founder and CEO of Halo said, We are excited to partner with DNA Genetics to build upon our strains in Oregon. DNA Genetics is renowned through the cannabis industry as a top breeder. Having exclusive rights to their genetic developments in Oregon reaffirms our leading position in this market and will help the Oregon market reach new heights. He added, We hope this is the first of many markets in which Halo and DNA will collaborate.

About HaloHalo is a global cannabis extraction company that develops and manufactures quality cannabis oils and concentrates, which are the fastest growing segments in the cannabis industry. Halo is a global leader in cannabis oil and concentrates, having produced over 4.5 million grams of oils and concentrates since inception. The Company has expertise across all major cannabis manufacturing processes, leveraging a variety of proprietary processes and products. The forward-thinking company is led by a strong management team with deep industry knowledge and blue-chip experience. The Company is currently operating in California and Oregon, as well as in Nevada with our partner Just Quality, LLC, and in Lesotho with the 205-hectare Bophelo cultivation zone.

With a consumer-centric focus, Halo will continue to market innovative, branded, and private label products across multiple product categories. Halo recently acquired Dispensary Track platform which will alleviate customer flow constraints experienced by dispensaries and enable direct consumer interaction.

For further information regarding Halo, see Halos disclosure documents on SEDAR at http://www.sedar.com.

About OG DNA Genetics Inc.DNA was rooted in Los Angeles and founded in Amsterdam in 2004 by Don Morris and Aaron Yarkoni. Over the last decade, the Company has built and curated a seasoned genetic library and developed proven standard operating procedures for genetic selection, breeding, and cultivation. In a world that is increasingly opening up to commercial cannabis activity, DNA is positioned to become the first, truly geographically diversified company with multiple partnerships with top-licensed producers and brands that have built their companies and global presence utilizing the Powered by DNA model. For more information, please visit http://www.dnagenetics.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information and StatementsThis press release contains certain forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation and may also contain statements that may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking information and forward-looking statements are not representative of historical facts or information or current condition, but instead represent only Halos beliefs regarding future events, plans or objectives, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and outside of Halos control. Generally, such forward-looking information or forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as plans, expects or does not expect, is expected, budget, scheduled, estimates, forecasts, intends, anticipates or does not anticipate, or believes, or variations of such words and phrases or may contain statements that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, will continue, will occur or will be achieved. The forward-looking information and forward-looking statements contained herein may include, but is not limited to, statements regarding the partnership with DNA Genetics and the development and distribution of new strains of cannabis in Oregon and elsewhere.

By identifying such information and statements in this manner, Halo is alerting the reader that such information and statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such information and statements. In addition, in connection with the forward-looking information and forward-looking statements contained in this press release, Halo has made certain assumptions. Although Halo believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing, and the expectations contained in, the forward-looking information and statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information and statements, and no assurance or guarantee can be given that such forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information and statements. The forward-looking information and forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and Halo does not undertake to update any forward-looking information and/or forward-looking statements that are contained or referenced herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking information and statements attributable to Halo or persons acting on its behalf is expressly qualified in its entirety by this notice.

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Halo Partners with DNA Genetics to Launch Leading World-Renowned Genetics in Oregon - Business Wire

Caris Life Sciences has announced it will begin offering Ambry Genetics 67- gene CancerNext Expanded panel to evaluate hereditary risks for cancer. That test will now be available combined with Caris somatic (tumor) tests that analyze a cancers detailed molecular makeup. In a release, Caris says this will be: The most comprehensive, clinically relevant molecular and genetic offering on the market today to guide treatment and management of cancer. The combined Caris and Ambry testing is already available nationwide.

We are committed to providing clinicians with high-quality information they can use to inform treatment decisions, said David D. Halbert, Caris Life Sciences Chairman, CEO and founder. By partnering with Ambry Genetics to better inform patient care, we are able to provide clinicians a greater ability to learn about a cancers molecular composition.

According to the National Cancer Institute, about 10% of cancers are hereditary. Inherited cancers often occur at a relativelyearly age and involve pathogenic variants in one or more genes. The most common hereditary cancer syndromes in women include hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome, Lynch syndrome, LiFraumeni syndrome, Cowden syndrome, PeutzJeghers syndrome, and hereditary diffuse gastric cancer. A hereditary cancer risk assessment identifies patients and families who may be at increased risk of developing certain types of cancer.

Caris currently offers clinicians Caris Molecular Intelligence, a proprietary, comprehensive tumor profiling approach that assesses DNA, RNA, and proteins that are unique to an individuals cancer, among other products. The Molecular Intelligence test reveals a molecular blueprint aimed to guide more precise and individualized treatment decisions.

Through the partnership, Caris will now also offer Ambrys CancerNext-Expandedhereditary cancer panel, which analyzes 67 genes associated with an increased hereditary risk of cancer, including brain, breast, colon, ovarian, pancreatic, prostate, renal, uterine, and many other cancers. This test identifies inherited risks for cancer in order for clinicians to accurately diagnose, treat, and manage cancer risks for each patients needs.

To best diagnose and treat cancer, clinicians must understand whether patients have mutations in genes associated with an increased risk for hereditary cancer, said Aaron Elliott, Chief Executive Officer of Ambry. Caris molecular tests combined with Ambrys germline genetic testing, give clinicians the most comprehensive, clinically relevant molecular profile on the market to guide treatment and management.

Being able to simultaneously conduct comprehensive tumor genomic testing and multi-gene germline sequencing is invaluable, especially for sick patients at the beginning of their cancer journey, said Michael J. Hall, M.D., and chair, Department of Clinical Genetics at Fox Chase Cancer Center. This is information I can immediately begin using for my patients to more accurately diagnose them and to better individualize their treatments.

In further news from Caris, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) updated their treatment guidelines for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC), which stress the importance ofRNA profilingand noteDNA-based next-generation sequencing may under-detectNTRK1andNTRK3fusions.Caris offers a suite of molecular profiling offerings, including whole transcriptome sequencing with MI Transcriptome which they say provides themost comprehensive and unique RNA analysis available and covers all 22,000 genes.

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Caris Life Sciences, Ambry Genetics Team on New Hereditary Cancer Panel - Clinical OMICs News

Australian agriculture is rapidly breeding out diversity within farmed animals, genetics which could one day be the key to stopping diseases and adapting to changing environments.

The University of Western Australia's Catie Gressier said while extinction and biodiversity were issues often associated with native species, heritage and rare breeds of agricultural animals were also under threat, and many had already been lost.

"It's really quite alarming," she said.

"Globally, since the early '90s, we've been losing a breed a month it's a really massive issue.

"With the industrialisation of agriculture, there's been a really strong focus on profitability and there's been a real shift towards a small number of productive hybrids that now dominate the industry almost totally worldwide."

Wessex Saddleback pigs are 'at risk' of extinction in Australia.

(Supplied: James Bennett)

Wessex Saddleback pigs are 'at risk' of extinction in Australia.

Dr Gressier said most breeds had been lost over the past 30 years with market forces dominating what breeds were farmed for meat.

And she said that could be to the peril of agriculture's long-term sustainability.

"Having a biodiverse environment is so critical in order to have a responsiveness and an adaptability to unforeseen changes occurring climatically [and] economically, in terms of consumer preferences, and also in terms of profitability," she said.

Dr Gressier pointed to the current threat of African Swine Fever on the pig industry as a global disease where a range of genetics within existing breeds could be examined for naturally occurring tolerance or resistance.

British White cattle is known for its high eating quality but it is listed as "at risk" by the Rare Breeds Trust of Australia.

(ABC Central Victoria: Larissa Romensky)

British White cattle is known for its high eating quality but it is listed as "at risk" by the Rare Breeds Trust of Australia.

ABC Central Victoria: Larissa Romensky

"Different genetic pools have different capabilities to demonstrate resistance to various diseases," she said.

"We need to have that agility for these new risks.

"In terms of improving stock, a diversity of genetics is really valuable but [so is] mitigating against some of the risks around disease and climate changes that are occurring."

Poultry breeders say it is becoming very difficult to get new genetics for some types of ducks and chickens.

(Contributed: Pip Rumble)

Poultry breeders say it is becoming very difficult to get new genetics for some types of ducks and chickens.

Dr Gressier said Australia had no cryo-conservation facilities to collect and store sperm and embryos and laws for some species, such as pigs, did not permit the importation of genetic material.

"The whole conservation effort is in the hands of individual farmers, volunteer organisations, and rare breed societies such as the Rare Breeds Trust of Australia," she said.

She urged consumers to buy meat from rare breed animals in order to support continued commercial production.

"For example, pork that's coming from Hampshires or Tamworths or Wessex Saddlebacks [pig breeds] that are in a really endangered states," she said.

"If you can support farmers that are growing these breeds that's a really positive step.

"To preserve these animals in our economic situation, it really is about finding how they can have some sort of economic viability."

In the West Australian wheatbelt, Linton and Kerry Batt have run a commercial herd of Berkshire pigs for the past 10 years.

Berkshires produce fewer pigs per litter and are slower to grow in comparison to the Landrace or Large White breeds which dominate commercial piggeries.

Mr Batt said he marketed his Berkshire pork as being the wagyu of the pork sector.

Linton Batt supplies a boutique market with his Berkshire pork, which he says competes on flavour.

(Supplied: Linton Batt)

Linton Batt supplies a boutique market with his Berkshire pork, which he says competes on flavour.

"Our production is aimed at a very small niche; it's a domestic market for super premium pork," he said.

"We've done the numbers, and we know that we need a price premium for our production.

"There is only a small market of people who will pay that price but for us, we're small enough to fill that gap, along with some other excellent Berkshire breeders, and it's worth doing."

Mr Batt said in order for his operation, and his pigs' genetics to survive, he is careful to keep the business viable but is concerned about the agricultural sector losing genetics.

"It should be a concern for everybody; we're seeing gene pools shrink and the loss of diversity," he said.

"We're always looking at the numbers to make sure they are viable and that the business stands on its own merit."

Tina the Wessex saddleback pig. Her breed is listed as "at risk" of extinction by the Rare Breeds Trust of Australia.

(ABC Hobart: Damien Peck)

Tina the Wessex saddleback pig. Her breed is listed as "at risk" of extinction by the Rare Breeds Trust of Australia.

Dr Gressier said the Rare Breeds Trust of Australia had a comprehensive list of animals lost, critical, endangered, or vulnerable.

It lists six breeds of sheep as lost, four of pigs, and 10 of cattle.

"In Australia we used to have a really diverse dairy industry with a number of breeds producing milk," she said.

"Now it's about 70 per cent Holstein which produce milk in the kinds of volumes of scale required to meet market demands.

"Chickens are also faring really poorly, particularly meat birds.

"There are very few farmers who are managing to commercially produce meat chickens that aren't the Ross or the Cobb breed."

Dr Gressier is about to lead a UWA-based study of rare breeds being farmed across Australia to understand why farmers stick with rare breed farming and how their work can be better supported.

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Extinction of farm animals threatens food security and genetic diversity - ABC News