RootsChat.Com
General => The Common Room => Topic started by: Romilly on Sunday 09 November 25 19:10 GMT (UK)
-
I’ve been sent an offer from My Heritage for a DNA test with whole genome testing for £29!
Has anyone on here already had one?
I find it hard to believe that they can offer it for that price?
Romilly.
-
I think it's been discussed here recently, but it has not been made totally clear exactly when the whole genome testing starts. If I was doing it myself I would wait until the new year.
Zaph
-
The email that I received today from My Heritage says,
‘MyHeritage DNA with Whole Genome Sequencing for only £29, plus 30-day free trial’
I have already uploaded an Ancestry DNA test to My Heritage, but I’m tempted by this offer. I can’t believe that they can do whole genome sequencing for £29!!
Romilly
-
I had the same offer. From what I have read any test submitted now will be able to be used for the whole genome sequencing but it may not be done til next year.
They also need to build a database so until lots of people have tested with the new test, the information they will be able to provide could be limited or some time off . I assume that's why it's cheaper at the moment
-
Hopefully is someone purchases one they will put it on here, I got the same offer.
LM
-
Hi
I am not a DNA guru, I look at my matches, often shake my head and then go off on another journey!
Can somebody put this "whole genome" business into perspective for me?
My DNA was tested through Ancestry. If "whole genome" suggests 100%, what kind of figure applies to my Ancestry test?
And although it does sound a bargain, is it something of interest only for the real gurus?
In ignorance....
Rebel
-
https://blog.myheritage.com/2025/10/myheritage-upgrades-its-dna-tests-to-whole-genome-sequencing/
Zaph
-
My understanding is that most of our DNA is shared by every human on Earth,
and that organizations such as Ancestry have deliberately selected the parts that distinguish us from others (but could well be shared with close relatives).
So it seems to me that whole-genome sequencing is pointless.
-
The size of a haploid human genome is ~3.3 billion base pairs. It's true that if you were to compare the genome sequences of two humans they would be very similar overall, but it is the positions where there are differences that matter for lineage analysis.
.Ancestry looks at an array of ~700,000 variable sites (SNPs: single nucleotide polymorphisms) in the genome. However, each individual human is thought to carry 4-5 million differences from the reference human sequence, so WGS will extract more potentially useful information, maybe 5x SNPs.
The other advantage of WGS that I can think of is that it will extend coverage beyond SNPs to insertions and deletions of DNA, which will add to the number of variable sites.
-
Thankyou AlanBoyd,
that was the sort of answer I was hoping for, to put the comparison Ancestry/Heritage into perspective.
Rebel
-
Well I've ordered mine even though I've already had a My Heritage test. I will wait before returning it until well into December or until I read something that definitely confirms that I will be being tested for the whole genome service.
I wonder if some company will jump on the bandwagon and offer to give me a cut price health analysis if I upload the raw data, like Promethease did.
Zaph
-
I was just reading about the whole genome sequencing that was carried out on Hitler’s DNA. Interesting…
It definitely seems to be the coming thing in DNA testing!
I’ve also been looking at current costs in the UK:
This is quoted from Dr Google 😊
The cost of a whole genome sequencing (WGS) test in the UK ranges from approximately £2,000 to over £7,000, depending on the complexity and specific services included. For example, a WGS test for a rare disease case (including three samples) costs around £7,050, while a standard single-sample WGS might be cheaper, around £2,350 per genome. It's important to note that these are estimates, and the price can vary based on the provider and included services like pre- and post-test consultations.
Romilly.
-
I read that article too, Romilly. I couldn't help wondering how much contamination there might be in the sample though. It wasn't extracted under ideal conditions, and was probably handled by many over the years.
An incredible price difference between My Heritage's offer and the ones you referenced. I hovered on sending for it, but decided to wait and see how useful it turns out to be.
-
I’m sure that the price will go up in the New Year, susieroe!
I’ve had an email from My Heritage to say that my kit has been shipped, although I’m sure that the results won’t be in as quickly 😊
There’s a program on Channel 4 about Hitler’s DNA on Saturday evening:
https://www.channel4.com › programmes › hitlers-dna-...
For the first time ever, experts identify Hitler's DNA. What do his genes reveal about Hitler's heritage and origins, his neurology and drives?
Romilly.
-
Thankyou AlanBoyd,
that was the sort of answer I was hoping for, to put the comparison Ancestry/Heritage into perspective.
Rebel
Comparing the testing process is just a small part of the big picture. Both companies started offering DNA testing around the same time yet Ancestry have added more results in the last two years alone than MH have achieved since they started despite MH offering cheaper kits and accepting 3rd party uploads. It's difficult to see how MH will build a viable new 'full genome' database from scratch in my lifetime based on past performance.