GenePeeks is a genetic research company that owns and runs ''Matchright'', a simulation that determines the probability of

genetic disorder A genetic disorder is a health problem caused by one or more abnormalities in the genome. It can be caused by a mutation in a single gene (monogenic) or multiple genes (polygenic) or by a chromosome abnormality. Although polygenic disorders ...

s being present in a child given two people's

DNA Deoxyribonucleic acid (; DNA) is a polymer composed of two polynucleotide chains that coil around each other to form a double helix. The polymer carries genetic instructions for the development, functioning, growth and reproduction of al ...

Overview

GenePeeks simulates the combination of genetic sequences of two people and predicts potential diseases and inherited disorders to find good recipient matches for

sperm donors Sperm donation is the provision by a man of his sperm with the intention that it be used in the artificial insemination or other "fertility treatment" of one or more women who are not his sexual partners in order that they may become pregnant by h ...

. By simulating the process of reproduction with the two

sequences In mathematics, a sequence is an enumerated collection of objects in which repetitions are allowed and order matters. Like a set, it contains members (also called ''elements'', or ''terms''). The number of elements (possibly infinite) is call ...

, the company's software (called ''Matchright'') forms a hypothetical child

genome A genome is all the genetic information of an organism. It consists of nucleotide sequences of DNA (or RNA in RNA viruses). The nuclear genome includes protein-coding genes and non-coding genes, other functional regions of the genome such as ...

to determine the likelihood of the resulting child developing one of around 600 conditions. The technology is currently aimed at

sperm bank A sperm bank, semen bank, or cryobank is a facility or enterprise which purchases, stores and sells human semen. The semen is produced and sold by men who are known as sperm donation, sperm donors. The sperm is purchased by or for other persons f ...

s; the first users will be at two

fertility clinic Fertility clinics are medical clinics that assist couples, and sometimes individuals, who want to become parents but for medical reasons have been unable to achieve this goal via the natural course. Clinics apply a number of diagnosis tests and ...

s in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, one of which is Manhattan Cryobank in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. The software creates around 10,000 virtual genomes for each donor-recipient pair, and typically rules out 10-15% of donors as bad matches for the recipient. Currently it only searches for single gene genetic conditions, but the company plan to expand the software to look for multiple gene diseases like

diabetes Diabetes mellitus, commonly known as diabetes, is a group of common endocrine diseases characterized by sustained high blood sugar levels. Diabetes is due to either the pancreas not producing enough of the hormone insulin, or the cells of th ...

and

heart disease Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is any disease involving the heart or blood vessels. CVDs constitute a class of diseases that includes: coronary artery diseases (e.g. angina pectoris, angina, myocardial infarction, heart attack), heart failure, ...

. Concern has been raised as to whether the software would allow "

designer babies A designer baby is an embryo or fetus whose genetic makeup has been intentionally selected or altered, often to exclude a particular gene or to remove genes associated with disease, to achieve desired traits. This process usually involves pre ...

", but the company say that they are not intending to use the system for non-medical purposes.

History

GenePeeks was established by Anne Morriss and Lee Silver. Silver is a genetics professor at

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial ...

whose work is focused on reproduction and development. Morriss was motivated to start the service in part by her own experience of starting a family; her son received an inherited disorder (

MCADD Medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (MCAD deficiency or MCADD) is a disorder of fatty acid oxidation that impairs the body's ability to break down medium-chain fatty acids into acetyl-CoA. The disorder is characterized by hypoglycemia ...

) after being conceived with sperm from a donor. The two started GenePeeks after being introduced by a mutual friend. In January 2014 the company was issued a patent for their algorithms to simulate genetic interactions. In October 2018, Anne Morriss had left the company and the company website has since been taken down.

References

External links

*{{Official website, https://web.archive.org/web/20181002125843/https://www.genepeeks.com/ October 2, 2018 archive Companies based in New York City