Know your Genes personal genome service at $999
A GENETICS website encouraging people to send in swabs of their saliva began operating on Monday in a closely watched Silicon Valley venture with links to the search firm Google. The site, 23andMe.com , is named after the 23 pairs of chromosomes in the human body It claims to offer the first "personal genome service" for $999 (about Rs 39,000) a customer Using hi-tech analysis software, the company says it can read up to half a million points in an individual's genome. The service is intended to help people understand their inherited traits and to allow them to compare themselves with friends and family Anne Wojcicki , one of the co-founders, said, "We believe this information provides intriguing insights into an individual's genetics, with the goal of expanding the collective knowledge base by enabling active participa- tion in research." Wojcicki is married to Sergey Brin , Google's co founder The venture is based in Mountain View, the same Silic