DNA App Store: Helix's Past and Sequencing.com's Present

In 2005, the DNA testing company Helix and National Geographic partnered on a project they named The Genographic Project. This research project was a collaboration with scientists and universities worldwide to study human migration.

There were 1 million people who participated in the project using National Geographic's "Geno" DNA Ancestry kit.

In July 2020, National Geographic discontinued its relationship with Helix. The public participation phase of the project ended. Helix also announced they would no longer be providing direct to consumer services. However, there is now a better alternative to Helix's DNA app store in the Partner Marketplace provided by Sequencing.

What is a DNA App Store?

A DNA app store is a digital marketplace that offers free and paid applications that analyze your genetic data and turn it into easy to understand insights.

You can think of a DNA app store as similar to the app store on your phone, but focused on your DNA. You can browse apps by category, review example reports, use free apps and purchase paid apps, and explore featured or trending apps to see what is most popular.

Helix's DNA App Store

When Helix was a startup, it created an iOS app that used DNA. Users purchased a DNA test and then used their raw DNA data with the app to learn more about their genetics.

Helix is different from DNA testing sites such as Ancestry, 23andMe and MyHeritage. While those companies focus on ancestry and some health information, Helix wanted to provide people with more genetic insights.

Many popular DNA testing sites provide genotype testing. Helix focused on DNA sequencing.

Genotype testing reads selected parts of the genome. DNA sequencing reads much larger regions such as the exome or even the whole genome.

The business model for Helix was simple. Helix sold DNA testing kits and then customers purchased analysis apps from the Helix DNA app store.

The apps that analyzed genetic data were provided by partner companies that based their technology on genomic research. The cost of these apps usually ranged from $30 to $150.

Helix offered apps across a wide variety of topics such as family, fitness and entertainment. People could choose what they wanted to know about their genetic code, purchase an app and quickly receive new information about their DNA such as genetic factors that may influence cholesterol levels.

Criticisms About Helix's DNA App Store

 

The MIT Technology Review published an article titled A DNA App Store Is Here, but Proceed with Caution that took a closer look at the Helix DNA app store and its backers including Illumina which contributed $100 million to the launch.

In that article, Daniel MacArthur, a scientist at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, pointed out that some DNA apps might not be good for consumers because they could inflate expectations or decrease confidence in clinical genetic tests.

Helix faced challenges with its DNA app store because it depended heavily on third party DNA analysis companies. This pushed Helix toward a focus on genomic research instead of long term direct to consumer DNA testing.

Even so, Helix helped establish an early model for a DNA app store that inspired new generations of genetic analysis applications. This work contributed to the development of higher quality DNA apps that can provide accurate and trustworthy genetic information for consumers.

Sequencing took the original idea of a DNA app store and built on it, creating the Partner Marketplace and AI Reports.

This is what Sequencing founder and geneticist Brandon Colby has to say about it.

"DNA analysis apps and a DNA app store empower consumers to choose what they want to learn about their DNA. As long as the marketplace uses strict quality control practices to ensure that only the highest quality DNA analyses are available, the wide range of information covered by these apps can still be consistently accurate and reliable. Customers should have high expectations when it comes to a genetic test.

Some genetic tests provide only superficial results that leave people wanting more. That is why a DNA app store that can analyze genetic test data from any test is so useful in meeting the expectations that people have.

For example, if a person has a 23andMe test and wants to learn about a DNA based nutrition plan or how to use information in their genes to improve sleep, 23andMe alone does not provide this information.

The Partner Marketplace at Sequencing does. So if someone only has access to a single type of analysis from their DNA test, their expectations may not be met. When that same person can expand the insights they obtain from that test by selecting from hundreds of DNA analysis apps, their expectations about getting a lot of value from their DNA can finally be met."

About Sequencing's Partner Marketplace and AI Reports

Sequencing is an online platform that helps people transform their genetic data into valuable and actionable insights that can improve health and wellness. Sequencing does this by providing access to DNA powered AI Reports and apps in the world's largest Partner Marketplace.

Powered by the Universal Compatibility technology, apps in the Partner Marketplace can analyze data from almost any genetic test including Ancestry, 23andMe, FamilyTreeDNA and Helix as well as whole genome sequencing, exome sequencing and DNA arrays.

Types of Apps in our Partner Marketplace

The Sequencing Partner Marketplace includes AI Reports and multiple categories of apps such as health, ancestry, nutrition, fitness, beauty, lifestyle, children and bioinformatics. These categories make it easy to browse and sort apps to find the best options for your needs and interests.

Across these categories, there are many opportunities to learn more about yourself and your family. You can explore insights about your heritage and learn about certain preventable health conditions you or your loved ones may be genetically predisposed to.