Location: United Kingdom
By using user-submitted genetic data, individuals have options to aid medical research by participating in relevant studies.
Sano is furthering the progress of personalised medicine by providing researchers with the genetic data they need for their study. To get involved, users can join Sano for free and upload their genetic testing from 23andme, MyHeritage, and more. Sano offers its own DNA kit where genetic data privacy is respected and kept secure.
They also provide the option to sequence the whole genome. This will be more useful in the future as precision medicine continues to advance. A profile is built for each user where they can choose what information they would like to include, such as basic demographics and medical conditions.
Where Sano differs from other companies is by keeping full control of the data in the hands of the user – Members decide what and who they share with, and can remove their information at any time. An additional feature is personalised reports which utilise the gene information to build an understanding of some medical conditions but also things like smell or taste preferences.
Sano connects users with research studies using the data they’ve provided. Often, it can be difficult for research studies to get the proper data and participants they need. This slows down the progress of drug development and medical research while significantly increasing the cost. By matching volunteers with research studies, advancements can be made faster. At the moment, users participate on a volunteer basis. However, Sano has done a trial involving paying users for their participation.
Website: https://sanogenetics.com/
Image: Sano
