Ancestry.com Enters DNA Genealogy Field

As predicted last night, Ancestry.com is adding DNA information. This morning's announcement was written by The Generations Network, parent company of Ancestry.com:

Ancestry.com Enters DNA Genealogy Field Through Exclusive Partnership With Sorenson Genomics

Combines Three Major Pillars of Family History Research - Historical Records, DNA and Family Trees

PROVO, Utah, June 18 -- A new partnership seeks to reunite families through science. The Generations Network, parent company of Ancestry.com, has announced it will combine its unrivaled collection of online family trees and historical documents with Sorenson Genomics' precision ancestral DNA testing. This unique partnership promises to revolutionize family history by allowing people to trace their roots and connect to distant cousins through DNA at the click of a mouse.

Ancestry.com boasts more than 14 million users and the world's largest collection of online family trees. In the last 12 months alone, more than two million people have built family trees on Ancestry.com. Sorenson Genomics is one of the world's foremost laboratories for genetic genealogy testing services, and has been helping genealogists extend branches of their family trees through DNA analysis since 2001.

"Entering the DNA category is a natural and powerful extension of our company's mission to connect families across distance and time," said Tim Sullivan, CEO of The Generations Network. "Our partnership with Sorenson Genomics creates an incredible combination of resources designed to demonstrate how closely we are all related."

By taking a simple cheek-swab test and comparing results against DNA profiles in a test-results database, virtually anyone can uncover genealogical associations unimaginable just a few years ago. Users can easily connect with and discover lost or unknown relatives within a few generations, as well as gain insight into where their families originated thousands of years ago.

In the coming months, Ancestry.com will release technology that captures DNA test results in an ever-expanding, searchable database. Using this database, users can easily identify distant cousins and tap into thousands of hours of already-completed genetic genealogical research, breaking through family tree dead-ends or barriers such as missing or inaccurate records and name changes. Ancestry.com is also developing technology that will allow users to integrate DNA results with the historical documents already in their online family trees.

"DNA research becomes more meaningful to people searching for relatives as more peoples' DNA results become part of the database," said Doug Fogg, COO of Sorenson Genomics. "By combining the powerful networking effect of Ancestry.com's extensive user base with Sorenson Genomics' industry-leading DNA testing capabilities, this partnership will dramatically alter and expand the DNA testing services marketplace."

Prior to the current partnership, Sorenson Genomics provided DNA testing and database matching services through its direct-to-consumer genetic genealogy division Relative Genetics. This new partnership agreement brings former customers of Relative Genetics and its DNA database under The Generations Network's umbrella. Sorenson Genomics will now provide DNA testing services for The Generations Network, and Ancestry.com will market DNA testing and database-matching services for genealogy purposes. Results of the Relative Genetics' DNA database will be included in Ancestry.com's growing database.

About Ancestry.com

With 24,000 searchable databases and titles, Ancestry.com is the No. 1 online source for family history information. Since its launch in 1997, Ancestry.com has been the premier resource for family history, simplifying genealogical research for millions of people by providing them with many easy-to-use tools and resources to build their own unique family trees. The site is home to the only complete online U.S. Federal Census collection, 1790-1930, as well as the world's largest online collection of U.S. ship passenger list records featuring more than 100 million names, 1820-1960. Ancestry.com is part of The Generations Network, Inc., a leading network of family-focused interactive properties, including MyFamily.com, Rootsweb.com, Genealogy.com and Family Tree Maker. In total, The Generations Network properties receive 10.4 million unique visitors worldwide and over 450 million page views a month (© comScore Media Metrix, March 2007).

About Sorenson Genomics

Sorenson Genomics (http://www.sorensongenomics.com/) is a best-in-class genetic testing laboratory certified to ISO 17025 and accredited by the American Association of Blood Banks. It was the world's first laboratory accredited for genetic genealogy testing services. A pioneer in the relatively new science of genetic genealogy, Sorenson Genomics has provided genetic testing solutions to help genealogists extend branches of family trees since 2001. The company administered the DNA testing for PBS's widely acclaimed series "African American Lives," which traced the roots of icons Oprah Winfrey, Spike Lee, Whoopi Goldberg, Quincy Jones and others. Through its independent business units GeneTree and Sorenson Forensics, Sorenson Genomics provides a wide spectrum of contract services to clients throughout the world, including DNA extraction and purification; DNA sequencing and genotyping; forensic DNA casework; disaster victim identification; ancestral and population assessment, and custom test development.

Comments

[Pat Walker]

I am a new subscriber and we have just started a DNA Surname Project.

This information is very helpful in recruting DNA participants, but is there a portion of this Blog or Newsletter where we can post information on our DNA Study in terms of where/how to participate, surnames included, websites involved, where to see current results?

Thanks,
Pat

[Pat Walker]

I took a closer look at this merger and it is unfortunate to lose the $95 26-marker test with Relative Genetics. That goes away July 31, but you can't get any codes from SMGF after June 15! It is a sorry state when these mergers cause higher prices for those DNA projects such as ours where one of the major obstacles is price for a larger number of participants needed to truly document a Surname profile of Y-DNA. The lower priced 12-marker tests are not sufficient for the type of Surname Study relating to 3 immigrant ancestors and also those who don't know their ancestry. They really need the 26-marker, preferably the 37-marker test.

Now, I am sure that Ancestry will raise the price close to what Family Tree DNA asks ($148 and $189 for 25 amd 37 marker tests respectively) since there really isn't a lot of competition anymore.

Is anyone aware of any way to get a better price or get creative financial aid in this area?

I have tried to advertise our DNA Surname Project widely, but am not optimistic about its future at this point.

[Peter Calver]

Remember how many billions it cost to sequence the human genome? Yet researchers in the field are aiming to bring the cost down to $1000.

In a few year's time better DNA tests will be available for a fraction of the current price - and that's when DNA genealogy will really take off.

[David G. Ball]

I cringe a bit at the comment in the announcement about "discover lost or unknown relatives within a few generations". To my understanding DNA is mostly used for the all male line, typically for a single surname, AND even identical results may mean many generations back before two people reach the same common ancestor. I would comment, as well, that cost is not the only barrier to taking the DNA test; for my one-name study of the Ball surname in New England I have offered on several occasions to fully pay for a subject's test and been turned down. Never an explanation, so I don't know if this comes from a "fear of the milkman syndrome" or what. Still, the advertizing and awareness potential from Ancestry.com should, I hope, increase the number of people testing DNA and that should be a positive force in the research field of genealogy.

[Cheri Casper]

There is something fishy here in this partnership. Sorenson Genomics is charging astronomical rates for these DNA tests; Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation (located with one block of Sorenson Genomics in SLC and connected in some manner which I was unable to discern completely -- even the logos are identical) offers the tests for FREE. Then when your test results are returned, you can use the marker numbers to look for matches. The url for Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation is www.smgf.org and the free test can be ordered there.

I suspect that the advantage of using this service through Ancestry is constant updates re matches whereas with the Foundation you have to do the marker matching yourself.

[Betty Heryford]

Sorenson was doing the free genealogy and would not tell the people what they found, and many of us did not return ours.

Now they are going to go to Ancestry. Both are Mormon members, and it is a mony thing. Sorenson is a very wealthy man.

[Jason Presley]

No the SMGF didn't send results back to the individuals who participated, partially because the project was free and that would be a huge added expense, but they DID publish the results, along with the submitted pedigree information. How hard is it to look ancestors up in the database?

[Carol Tackett]

I wonder what will happen with all the Family Treemaker surname projects. I have one started there. Will they be swallowed up by new partnership? Will they let people that have them now still run the projects? Alot of questions need to be answered.

[Hal Smith]

"I suspect that the advantage of using this service through Ancestry is constant updates re matches whereas with the Foundation you have to do the marker matching yourself."

What do you mean. How am I supposed to "use this service through Ancestry?"

Are you talking about a company named ANCESTRY, or what, and how I am I supposed to use it?