Dante Labs will use its DNA testing kit to sequence the DNA of 10,000 Europeans in an effort to improve our understanding of the human genome.
Dante Labs developed the first DNA test to be made available in Europe, allowing the public to test their health from the comfort of their own homes. It has now pledged to sequence the genomes of 10,000 Europeans over the next 2 years to boost our understanding of the human genome across an entire continent rather than focusing on a single country. The study will make use of Dante Labs’ extensive sequencing, as well as big data, bioinformatics, and artificial intelligence resources, which will allow the analysis of the vast amounts of data coming its way.
Like the UK’s 100,000 Genomes Project and Estonia’s Biobank, the ‘10,000 European Genome Project’ will be an extremely useful resource for researchers, with institutions already getting in line to have access to it. Dante Labs CEO and co-founder Andrea Riposati commented: “We have received requests for partnerships from leading universities and leading genetic companies worldwide.”
Last November, the company caught our attention by cutting the price of its kits by €50 for Cyber Monday, giving health-conscious consumers the chance to test themselves for just €149. The test is non-invasive, with a saliva sample being used to test for more than 650,000 SNPs associated with a range of diseases. With spending on DNA tests set to reach $25B (€21B) a year by 2021, Dante Labs is working hard to become a leader in the market, not only by offering affordable DNA testing but also committing to protecting its customers’ data.
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