Those of us who signed up for DNA testing kits from 23andMe did so thinking we’d unlock deep ancestral secrets. Maybe we’d discover we had royal blood, or finally settle the family debate over whether great-grandpa Dmitri was really Kenyan after all. Often, the results were far less conclusive: the tests revealed that we were 12 per cent Neanderthal, distantly related to Genghis Khan’s less-heralded cousin, Mungo, and possibly allergic to liquorice. Not uninteresting, but not that exciting, either.
The tests revealed we were 12 per cent Neanderthal and distantly related to Genghis Khan’s less-heralded cousin, Mungo
Now, though, our DNA is the source of high drama, and no small amount of peril, thanks to the demise of 23andMe. The firm, once worth $6 billion (£4.6 billion), is on the verge of collapse and has filed for bankruptcy protection. Co-founder and CEO, Anne Wojcicki, has resigned. And while 23andMe says it is determine to carry on, its future looks uncertain.
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