Source: Apple.com
“The iPhone can be an integral part in advancing the fundamental science — the very complexities of biology and understanding of the human genome can be made accessible through tools like the iPhone,” Consumer genomics company Illumina’s CEO and President, Jay Flatley told Apple in a recent interview. “I think it is the convergence of the science and IT technology that today creates a unique possibility to manage our human health in new ways,” Flatley said. “It’s an incredibly exciting time.”
Earlier this year at the inaugural Consumer Genetics Show in Boston, Mobihealthnews reported on and included the first photos of Illumina’s concept for an iPhone application, called myGenome, that included information from a person’s genome. Following that sneak peek, Apple published a brief case study that includes a high level over view of Illumina’s use of iPhones among its sales reps and executives. The article also discusses Illumina’s plans for myGenome. Apple also produced a video with a number of images of the concept iPhone application Illumina is developing. (Our original photos from the event earlier this year can be re-visited here.)
Source: Apple.com
“Illumina is developing an iPhone application that will allow consumers to carry around their genomic information,” Flatley explained to Apple. “Part of it may be on the phone itself, part of it may be in the cloud that the phone would have access to. It would allow the customer to bring up the application and interact with it live in conjunction with their doctor.”
Illumina told Apple that the completed app aims to “present complex genomic datasets in an easy-to-understand, consumer-oriented interface.”
“The understanding of the human genome, which is very inaccessible to most people, can start to become accessible through iPhone,” Flatley said. “It will be a mechanism for communications, for sharing, and for data management. iPhone can translate something very complicated into something very user-friendly.”
For more on the planned myGenome app:
Revisit Illumina’s concept iPhone app announcement at the Consumer Genetics Show
Read this write-up Apple posted to the enterprise section of its iPhone site
September 11th, 2009 at 5:04 pm
While having access to this information is potentially useful, Illumina is one of several companies really trying to create a market for consumer oriented genetics. I am not sure that this will play out all that well given that few of use currently carry around all our blood information or information from other medical tests in our back pocket. This is typically the realm of interaction between diagnostic test labs and our doctors because of the need for interpretation of the results.
Essentially, having our genes sequenced or analyzed for disease risk is no different than letting your doctor know that you have a family history of Alzheimer’s or heart disease. While the genetic tests can see much more detail, the doctor will still analyze the results and risks. Carrying an iphone with this application is simply a different way of getting the knowledge to the doctor and is probably less efficient than having the doctor directly interact with a genetics test lab or access your genetic information through an online service holding the vast amounts of data.
September 11th, 2009 at 5:34 pm
Well, I think you might have the wrong end of the stick here. First of all, not all genomic information is medical information. You might have interesting traits which would benefit from a clear presentation. Second, and more pertinent to this situation, is that doctors aren’t all trained geneticists. More likely, this is information you could discuss with a genetic counselor and then further discuss with your primary care doctor, but it’s not something your doctor would know what to do with in raw form, so it certainly does help to have it available and clearly presented. Finally, this allows people to have more control over and responsibility for the kind of care they get, which I think we can all agree is a good thing.
September 11th, 2009 at 5:50 pm
[...] Continue reading here: Apple sheds light on Illumina’s genome app [...]
September 13th, 2009 at 2:09 pm
At the same event – the Boston Consumer Genetics Conference– I saw this demo of genome-based shopping. http://www.junkdna.com/hologenomics_history.html#dna_based_pda_barcode_shopping
Apparently it’s PDA-agnostic (demoed at the event on the Google Android) and requires no understanding of genomics. This appears to be a simple, practical use of personal genome information. Also, according to the inventor, Dr. Pellionisz, the genome based shopping doesn’t require the personal genomic information to be downloaded to the PDA where it could be lost or stolen, but rather the genomic information is utilized by the PDA shoppping application to make the best personal genome based choices when shopping.
October 28th, 2009 at 6:39 pm
[...] for an iPhone application, called myGenome, that included information from a person’s genome. Illumina told Apple that the completed app aims to “present complex genomic datasets in an easy-to-understand, [...]