31
32
33
25
26
27
28
29
30
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
5
6
7
8
9
10
1
2
3
4
Disease or Trait Name
Alcohol Dependence
Alzheimer’s Disease
Ankylosing spondylitis
Celiac Disease
Antidepressant Response
Heroin Addiction
Chron’s Disease
Alopecia Areata
Statin Response
Warfarin Sensitivity
Multiple Sclerosis
Psoriasis
Sudden Cardiac Arrest
Schizophrenia
Parkinson’s Disease
Venous thromboembolism
Caffeine metabolism
Type I diabetes
Malaria Resistance
Photic Sneeze Reflex
Response to Exercise
Norovirus resistance
Muscle Performance
Resistance to HIV/AIDS
Rheumatoid arthritis
Scoliosis
Hypothyroidism
Pancreatic Cancer
Lou Gehrig’s Disease
Thyroid Cancer
Essential Tremor
Brain Aneurysm
Longevity
Student assigned

Student instructions:
If you have not already discussed single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in your class, familiarize yourself with what SNPs are: here is a fun tutorial at 23andme: https://www.23andme.com/gen101/snps/
After watching, take a moment to define a SNP for yourself:
Companies, such as 23andme, that provide personal direct to consumer (DTC) genome tests currently do not sequence your entire genome. They look for an association between single nucleotide changes and particular phenotypes. Thus, the strength of the science is anchored in the strength of the association in large population studies.
If you want to read more about these associations, you can see a brief (optional) overview of genome-wide association studies at the NIH: http://www.genome.gov/20019523
For our class activity, your goal will be to familiarize yourself with the 23andme website
( www.23andme.com
). To do this, you will each be assigned a unique disease or trait that
23andme tests for. You will do all of your research at the 23andme website, thus, this should not take too long to complete. During class, you will have 2 minutes to tell someone else about your genetic test. You will not be allowed to read from a card, so be sure to know some basics. You are expected to know the answers to the basic questions below. You should convey the answers in your short 2-minute speed talk. (You will have these prompts when speed talking with your classmates.)
1. Briefly describe the trait or disease you were assigned. (See https://www.23andme.com/health/all/ )
2. What is the most significant consequence to having a particular phenotype associated with this trait or disease (i.e. is it an inability to drink milk or is it cardiac arrest, etc.)
3. Is your trait or disease associated with a single SNP or are there multiple SNPs factoring in?
4. How transparent is the company being about the strength of the science of this SNP association?
 Were there multiple studies published on the association with the SNP(s) and your gene?
 Was this considered to be an “established” or “preliminary” research report by
23andme?
 Do the studies published on this apply to those of various ethnicities? African?
Asian? European?

5. Would you want to be tested for this? Why or why not?
Prompts for Discussion
(Each pair of students can have this during discussion)
1. Briefly describe the trait or disease you were assigned.
2. What is the most significant consequence to having a particular phenotype associated with this trait or disease (i.e. is it an inability to drink milk or is it cardiac arrest, etc.)
3. Is your trait or disease associated with a single SNP or are there multiple SNPs factoring in?
4. How transparent is the company being about the strength of the science of this SNP association?
 Were there multiple studies published on the association with the SNP associations and your gene?
 Was this considered to be an “established” or “preliminary” research report by
23andme?
 Do the studies published on this apply to those of various ethnicities? African?
Asian? European?
5. Would you want to be tested for this? Why or why not?