October 1, 2015 (Vol. 35, No. 17)
Rating:
Strong Points: Different data views, can link to personal data if desired
Weak Points: Requires Internet/data plan, no tutorial in app
Platform:
iPad
Cost:
Free
Summary:
The Genetics365 app allows users to explore data from Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) in a visually appealing way. The app includes data from the National Human Genome Research Institute’s (NHGRI) GWAS catalog, and the data are displayed in two different ways. In chromosome view, app users see an overview of the number of mapped single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the genome, organized by chromosome. The SNPs are also color-coded by health category such as cancer, metabolic disease, or drug response. Alternatively, users can view the data in disease view, which divides the SNPs by health category and displays them in bar-graph form according to chromosome breakdown. In either view, users can select individual SNPs to learn more about them via the NHGRI online GWAS catalog (Internet access required). Finally, users can login to their 23andMe account within the app to explore their own genetic data, but do you really want to share all of your genetic data with some random app?
