1 / Alcohol Dependence
2 / Alzheimer’s Disease
3 / Ankylosing spondylitis
4 / Celiac Disease
5 / Antidepressant Response
6 / Heroin Addiction
7 / Chron’s Disease
8 / Alopecia Areata
9 / Statin Response
10 / Warfarin Sensitivity
11 / Multiple Sclerosis
12 / Psoriasis
13 / Sudden Cardiac Arrest
14 / Schizophrenia
15 / Parkinson’s Disease
16 / Venous thromboembolism
17 / Caffeine metabolism
18 / Type I diabetes
19 / Malaria Resistance
20 / Photic Sneeze Reflex
21 / Response to Exercise
22 / Norovirus resistance
23 / Muscle Performance
24 / Resistance to HIV/AIDS
25 / Rheumatoid arthritis
26 / Scoliosis
27 / Hypothyroidism
28 / Pancreatic Cancer
29 / Lou Gehrig’s Disease
30 / Thyroid Cancer
31 / Essential Tremor
32 / Brain Aneurysm
33 / Longevity
Student instructions:
If you have not already discussed single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in your class, familiarize yourself with what SNPs are: here is a fun tutorial at 23andme: https://www.23andme.com/gen101/snps/
After watching, take a moment to define a SNP for yourself:
Companies, such as 23andme, that provide personal direct to consumer (DTC) genome tests currently do not sequence your entire genome. They look for an association between single nucleotide changes and particular phenotypes. Thus, the strength of the science is anchored in the strength of the association in large population studies.
If you want to read more about these associations, you can see a brief (optional) overview of genome-wide association studies at the NIH:
http://www.genome.gov/20019523
For our class activity, your goal will be to familiarize yourself with the 23andme website (www.23andme.com). To do this, you will each be assigned a unique disease or trait that 23andme tests for. You will do all of your research at the 23andme website, thus, this should not take too long to complete. During class, you will have 2 minutes to tell someone else about your genetic test. You will not be allowed to read from a card, so be sure to know some basics. You are expected to know the answers to the basic questions below. You should convey the answers in your short 2-minute speed talk. (You will have these prompts when speed talking with your classmates.)
1. Briefly describe the trait or disease you were assigned. (See https://www.23andme.com/health/all/)
2. What is the most significant consequence to having a particular phenotype associated with this trait or disease (i.e. is it an inability to drink milk or is it cardiac arrest, etc.)
3. Is your trait or disease associated with a single SNP or are there multiple SNPs factoring in?
4. How transparent is the company being about the strength of the science of this SNP association?
· Were there multiple studies published on the association with the SNP(s) and your gene?
· Was this considered to be an “established” or “preliminary” research report by 23andme?
· Do the studies published on this apply to those of various ethnicities? African? Asian? European?
5. Would you want to be tested for this? Why or why not?
Prompts for Discussion
(Each pair of students can have this during discussion)
1. Briefly describe the trait or disease you were assigned.
2. What is the most significant consequence to having a particular phenotype associated with this trait or disease (i.e. is it an inability to drink milk or is it cardiac arrest, etc.)
3. Is your trait or disease associated with a single SNP or are there multiple SNPs factoring in?
4. How transparent is the company being about the strength of the science of this SNP association?
· Were there multiple studies published on the association with the SNP associations and your gene?
· Was this considered to be an “established” or “preliminary” research report by 23andme?
· Do the studies published on this apply to those of various ethnicities? African? Asian? European?
5. Would you want to be tested for this? Why or why not?