Genetic Bust

Privacy concerns have been raised after a leading genetics company pioneering personal DNA testing went bankrupt yesterday. “DNA profiles belonging to thousands of people who have paid up to £600 for internet genetic tests are to be transferred to a new organisation, after deCODE Genetics filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy in a US court,” The Times reports. “The fate of the Icelandic company, which has never turned a profit despite making a string of discoveries about the genetic origins of common diseases, has fuelled fresh debate about access to DNA data. The genetic records of its customers will now be held by Saga Investments, a venture capital group that has agreed to buy deCODE’s core science operations, including its deCODEme personalised genetic testing service.”