Living DNA

Last updated

Living DNA
Type Private
Industry Online services
Genetic testing
FoundedSeptember 2016;7 years ago (2016-09)
Headquarters
Frome, Somerset
,
England
Key people
David Nicholson (CEO, co-founder)
Hannah Morden-Nicholson (Co-founder)
Website www.livingdna.com

Living DNA is a UK-based company that specialises in DNA testing and analysis whose head office is in the UK with facilities in the USA and Denmark. The service is to provide deep ancestry details from all around the world, using a unique process of analysis and using linked DNA. It is one of the major DNA testing services in the world. [1] [2] The company conducts three types of DNA analyses: autosomal, Y-chromosome and mitochrondrial. [3] However, while the DNA test results provide information about the origins of a person, genealogy, i.e. finding relatives in historic time, is not yet part of the company's portfolio.[ citation needed ]

Contents

History and partnership

In 2016, Living DNA was co-founded by Tricia Nicholson and husband-and-wife team, David Nicholson and Hannah Morden-Nicholson, [4] in Frome, Somerset, England. [5] [6] [7] [8] The company began after extensive research and work along with a team of around 100 genealogists around the world. [9] In 1999 Nicholson founded another company, DNA Worldwide, which he has been running since. [5]

In July 2018, Living DNA announced and signed a partnership agreement with Findmypast, also a British genealogy company. [10] By working together, their mission was to provide an extensive and detailed family roots and history. [11] Unfortunately, this partnership ended in 2023.

In 2019, Living DNA was reported to provide, for each DNA sample tested, recent (less than 80,00 years) ethnic breakdown for 80 regions in the world with the UK broken down in to 21 regions. [12] They also provided insight into female and paternal (for males) heritage going back about 200,000 years showing migration patterns out of Africa. [12]

DNA privacy concerns

Research published in the scientific journal eLife by geneticist Michael Edge from the University of California uncovered security concerns with customers DNA data held online by the smaller genealogy companies, including Living DNA. It was found that hackers using creative means could easily exploit these upload-based services. Biostatistician Sharon Browning from the University of Washington said that if consumers "care about their DNA's privacy, then they shouldn't upload [their DNA] to these databases." [13]

Critics and reviews

Living DNA has gotten a positive review from PCWorld. [3] Tech Radar commented that "..the vagueness of some of its results combined with its relatively high price mean it doesn’t stand out from the crowd." [14]

As at April 2022, ratings and reviews from the general public on the customer reviews website Trustpilot gave the company an average of 3.7 out of 5 stars. [15]

After getting DNA tests results from three different companies to know if his "dad's family came from Russia", David Gewirtz says, "the results I got back from Ancestry and 23andMe were shocking and upsetting would be an understatement." However, "the results from Living DNA were substantially different and led to some fascinating insights that were actually really cool, rather than painful." [16]

Controversy surrounding key people

Director Hannah Morden-Nicholson, stepped down from the Frome Chamber of Commerce committee in early 2019 after being associated with a locally established "cult" Universal Medicine. This followed on from a BBC investigation into the "socially harmful" group. [17] Co-director David Nicholson is also dedicated to the sect and its leader’s teachings, [18] and ex-director and co-founder Tricia Nicholson declares a 'lifelong family friendship' with the sect's leader. [19] [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Genealogy</span> Study of individual descent and bloodline

Genealogy is the study of families, family history, and the tracing of their lineages. Genealogists use oral interviews, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kinship and pedigrees of its members. The results are often displayed in charts or written as narratives. The field of family history is broader than genealogy, and covers not just lineage but also family and community history and biography.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Genetic testing</span> Medical test

Genetic testing, also known as DNA testing, is used to identify changes in DNA sequence or chromosome structure. Genetic testing can also include measuring the results of genetic changes, such as RNA analysis as an output of gene expression, or through biochemical analysis to measure specific protein output. In a medical setting, genetic testing can be used to diagnose or rule out suspected genetic disorders, predict risks for specific conditions, or gain information that can be used to customize medical treatments based on an individual's genetic makeup. Genetic testing can also be used to determine biological relatives, such as a child's biological parentage through DNA paternity testing, or be used to broadly predict an individual's ancestry. Genetic testing of plants and animals can be used for similar reasons as in humans, to gain information used for selective breeding, or for efforts to boost genetic diversity in endangered populations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frome</span> Town in Somerset, England

Frome is a town and civil parish in eastern Somerset, England. The town is built on uneven high ground at the eastern end of the Mendip Hills, and centres on the River Frome. The town, about 13 miles (21 km) south of Bath, is part of the parliamentary constituency of Somerton and Frome. The population was 28,559 in 2021.

Genetic genealogy is the use of genealogical DNA tests, i.e., DNA profiling and DNA testing, in combination with traditional genealogical methods, to infer genetic relationships between individuals. This application of genetics came to be used by family historians in the 21st century, as DNA tests became affordable. The tests have been promoted by amateur groups, such as surname study groups or regional genealogical groups, as well as research projects such as the Genographic Project.

The Genographic Project, launched on 13 April 2005 by the National Geographic Society and IBM, was a genetic anthropological study that aimed to map historical human migrations patterns by collecting and analyzing DNA samples. The final phase of the project was Geno 2.0 Next Generation. Upon retirement of the site, 1,006,542 participants in over 140 countries had joined the project.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Somerton and Frome (UK Parliament constituency)</span> UK Parliamentary constituency

Somerton and Frome is a constituency in Somerset represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2023 by Sarah Dyke.

A genealogical DNA test is a DNA-based genetic test used in genetic genealogy that looks at specific locations of a person's genome in order to find or verify ancestral genealogical relationships, or to estimate the ethnic mixture of an individual. Since different testing companies use different ethnic reference groups and different matching algorithms, ethnicity estimates for an individual vary between tests, sometimes dramatically.

Ancestry.com LLC is an American genealogy company based in Lehi, Utah. The largest for-profit genealogy company in the world, it operates a network of genealogical, historical records, and related genetic genealogy websites.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Family Tree DNA</span> Commercial genetic testing company

FamilyTreeDNA is a division of Gene by Gene, a commercial genetic testing company based in Houston, Texas. FamilyTreeDNA offers analysis of autosomal DNA, Y-DNA, and mitochondrial DNA to individuals for genealogical purpose. With a database of more than two million records, it is the most popular company worldwide for Y-DNA and mitochondrial DNA, and the fourth most popular for autosomal DNA. In Europe, it is the most common also for autosomal DNA. FamilyTreeDNA as a division of Gene by Gene were acquired by MYDNA, Inc., an Australian company, in January 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">23andMe</span> American personal genomics company

23andMe Holding Co. is a publicly held personal genomics and biotechnology company based in South San Francisco, California. It is best known for providing a direct-to-consumer genetic testing service in which customers provide a saliva sample that is laboratory analysed, using single nucleotide polymorphism genotyping, to generate reports relating to the customer's ancestry and genetic predispositions to health-related topics. The company's name is derived from the 23 pairs of chromosomes in a diploid human cell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DNAPrint Genomics</span>

DNAPrint Genomics was a genetics company with a wide range of products related to genetic profiling. They were the first company to introduce forensic and consumer genomics products, which were developed immediately upon the publication of the first complete draft of the human genome in the early 2000s. They researched, developed, and marketed the first ever consumer genomics product, based on "Ancestry Informative Markers" which they used to correctly identify the BioGeographical Ancestry (BGA) of a human based on a sample of their DNA. They also researched, developed and marketed the first ever forensic genomics product - DNAWITNESS - which was used to create a physical profile of donors of crime scene DNA. The company reached a peak of roughly $3M/year revenues but ceased operations in February 2009.

MyHeritage is an online genealogy platform with web, mobile, and software products and services, introduced by the Israeli company MyHeritage in 2003. Users of the platform can obtain their family trees, upload and browse through photos, and search through over 19.4 billion historical records, among other features.

Trustpilot Group plc, is a Danish consumer business operating a review website founded in Denmark in 2007 which hosts reviews of businesses worldwide. Nearly 1 million new reviews are posted each month. The site offers freemium services to businesses. It has been criticised for the publication of fake reviews, and allowing companies to remove negative reviews. Trustpilot is listed on the London Stock Exchange.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mabel Pryde</span> English artist (1871–1918)

Mabel Scott Lauder Pryde was a Scottish artist, the wife of artist William Nicholson, and the mother of artists Ben Nicholson and Nancy Nicholson and the architect Christopher 'Kit' Nicholson.

Findmypast Online genealogy service based in the UK, owned by DC Thomson

Findmypast is a UK-based online genealogy service owned, since 2007, by British company DC Thomson. The website hosts billions of searchable records of census, directory and historical record information. It originated in 1965 when a group of genealogists formed a group named "Title Research". The first internet website went live in 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International Society of Genetic Genealogy</span>

The International Society of Genetic Genealogy (ISOGG) is an independent non-commercial nonprofit organization of genetic genealogists run by volunteers. It was founded by a group of surname DNA project administrators in 2005 to promote DNA testing for genealogy. It advocates the use of genetics in genealogical research, provides educational resources for genealogists interested in DNA testing, and facilitates networking among genetic genealogists. As of June 2013, it comprises over 8,000 members in 70 countries. As of July 2013, regional meetings are coordinated by 20 volunteer regional coordinators located in the United States, Australia, Brazil, Canada, England, Egypt, Ireland and Russia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WikiTree</span> Genealogy website

WikiTree is a genealogy website that allows users to research and to contribute to their own family trees while building and collaborating on a singular worldwide family tree within the same system. WikiTree is free for the user and financed via advertisements displayed to unregistered users. WikiTree is owned and hosted by founder's company Interesting.com, Inc.

Investigative genetic genealogy, or forensic genetic genealogy, is the emerging practice of utilizing genetic information from direct-to-consumer companies for identifying suspects or victims in criminal cases. As of September 2021, the use of this practice has led to the discovery of over 150 suspects of murder and sexual assault. The investigative power of genetic genealogy revolves around the use of publicly accessible genealogy databases such as GEDMatch and FamilyTreeDNA. On GEDMatch, users are able to upload their genetic data from any direct-to-consumer company in an effort to identify relatives that have tested at companies other than their own.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ancestral background of presidents of the United States</span>

The ancestral background of presidents of the United States has been relatively consistent throughout American history. With the exception of Martin Van Buren and perhaps Dwight D. Eisenhower, every president has ancestors from the British Isles, which in turn makes many of them distantly related to one another. Kennedy was of pure Irish descent, Van Buren was of Dutch lineage; and Eisenhower was of German and Swiss heritage. Barack Obama is the only president to have ancestry from outside Western Europe; his paternal family is of the Luo people of East Africa. He is also believed to be a direct descendant of John Punch, a colonial-era slave born in modern-day Cameroon. Despite speculation, there is no evidence that any of the United States’ presidents have had any Indigenous American ancestry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">African American genealogy</span> Field of genealogy pertaining to African-Americans

African American genealogy is a field of genealogy pertaining specifically to the African American population of the United States. African American genealogists who document the families, family histories, and lineages of African Americans are faced with unique challenges owing to the slave practices of the Antebellum South and North. These challenges rise from a range of events, including name changes following the American Civil War, the act of separating families for sale as slaves, lack of issued birth or death records for slaves, etc.

References

  1. ↑ McLaughlin, Molly K. "The Best DNA Testing Kits for 2019". PCMag . Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  2. ↑ David Gewirtz (7 October 2019). "The best DNA testing kits available now". CNET . Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  3. 1 2 Holger, Dieter (3 December 2018). "Living DNA review: This DNA test kit offers surprising detail". PCWorld. IDG Communications. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
  4. 1 2 "LIVING DNA LIMITED - Officers". Companies House. gov.uk. 10 January 2020. Archived from the original on 5 January 2020.
  5. 1 2 Williams, Mark (25 May 2017). "The lucrative rise of DNA testing: 'we created the market for what we do'". The Guardian . Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  6. ↑ Frost, Maisha (2 November 2016). "Living DNA takes care with customers as they journey back into their past". Daily Express . London: Express Newspapers. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
  7. ↑ "Living DNA offers exciting new possibilities for genetic genealogy". New York Genealogical and Biographical Society . 22 June 2018. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  8. ↑ Murray, Jordan (29 August 2019). "Hannah and David Nicholson: Living DNA". The CEO Magazine. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
  9. ↑ "Living DNA: David Nicholson and Hannah Morden". Startups.co.uk. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  10. ↑ Peck, Ashlee (20 July 2018). "Findmypast Partnering with Living DNA". Family Tree Magazine. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  11. ↑ Eastman, Dick (13 November 2018). "Findmypast Partners With Living DNA to Launch the Most Detailed Ancestry Discovery Experience". Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  12. 1 2 Staff (22 April 2019). "Is this the most detailed at-home DNA testing kit yet?". CNN Underscored. CNN. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
  13. ↑ McDermott, Amy (14 February 2020). "Study uncovers new privacy worries for direct-to-consumer DNA testing". National Academy of Sciences. U.S. Archived from the original on 16 February 2020.
  14. ↑ Gadgets, Samuel Horti 2019-06-21 (21 June 2019). "Living DNA review". TechRadar. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
  15. ↑ "Living DNA is rated "Average" with 3.7 / 5 on Trustpilot". Trustpilot. Copenhagen, Denmark: Trustpilot Inc. 6 April 2020. Archived from the original on 6 April 2020.
  16. ↑ David Gewirtz (22 October 2019). "My ancestry adventure: When DNA testing delivers unexpected and unsettling results". ZDNet . Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  17. ↑ "Frome Chamber express concern about BBC's 'cult' investigation". Frome Times. Somerset, UK. 26 March 2019. Archived from the original on 18 December 2019.
  18. ↑ Students (21 February 2016). "Universal Medicine – The Facts of My Experience". The Truth about Universal Medicine. Archived from the original on 18 December 2019.
  19. ↑ "Run by a wealthy old Etonian in deepest Somerset". Celebrity Best News. 16 March 2020. Archived from the original on 19 April 2020.
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