Reminiscent of a child’s home chemistry set, the 23andMe personal DNA saliva collection kit can be ordered online, and for $1,100 (including FedEx delivery charges) is delivered right to your doorstep. Swab for saliva, send it back to the lab and 6-8 weeks after the DNA extracted from the saliva’s cheek cells is examined, you will get insight into your 23 pairs of chromosomes. Are you part of the 88% of the population with wet earwax? Prone to Type 1 or 2 diabetes? These questions and more can be answered. And while 23andMe’s beefed-up security system ensures personal data privacy, they do encourage genetic information sharing amongst friends and family.

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