The bankruptcy of personal genomics company 23andMe is a headline that has broken past the well-heeled haze of the business world — given, of course, its existential implications for millions of Americans’ genetic information. The company, founded in San Francisco 2006, and having served 15 million individuals to-date, is one of a handful of genetic testing businesses whose customers mail in a cotton swab of their saliva.
This tiny DNA sample can be used to generate a host of comprehensive reports on a person’s ancestry, genetic health risks, and even how they process certain medications. Earlier this week, 23andMe announced it would be filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings, which would involve the sale of those consumers’ most sensitive biological data to the highest bidder.
