The test uses a saliva¹ sample to provide more than 100 pieces of genetic² information including whether users are more likely than normal to suffer Parkinson's, some cancers or baldness.

 

It can also predict whether they like coffee or hate Brussels sprouts³, which type of exercise is likely to suit them best and give information about a person's ancestry⁴.

 

The test, already available in the US, is being marketed online by 23andMe, a firm part-funded by Google. A customer spits into a tube, seals it and sends it back to 23andMe's labs for analysis. Four to six weeks later, they receive a detailed⁵ report in the post written in everyday language.

 

It will tell them, for instance, whether their risk of Alzheimer's disease is higher or lower than average. 23andMe -- run by Anne Wojcicki, wife of Google co-founder Sergey Brin -- says its 'mission is to ensure that individuals can personally access, understand and benefit from the human genome'.

 

It says that armed with the information, people can take better care of their health. For instance, the print-out may give someone the impetus⁶ they need to give up smoking or it could mean they undergo regular health checks so that an illness can be caught -- and treated early.

 

Genetic tests are already available in Britain but generally provide less information and are more expensive.

点击收听单词发音