I have to admit: I've become a genetics geek. Ever since I sent my first saliva sample to be analyzed by consumer-genetics company 23andMe, I've become obsessed with what I can find out from a sample of my DNA.
After trying out 23andMe's $199 test, I wanted to see how one of its competitors' tests stacked up.
For $99, AncestryDNA will sequence your genes to help trace your geographic roots. It doesn't provide health and wellness information, although Ancestry launched a program aimed at tracking family-health history called AncestryHealth. The company also recently teamed up with Alphabet's biotechnology company, Calico, to study the genetics of the human lifespan.
Here's what it was like to use AncestryDNA:
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Shortly after I ordered it online, my AncestryDNA kit arrived in the mail in a small box the size of a hardcover book.
Opening it up, I found a collection tube (and a bag to seal it in once I was done), a set of instructions, and a smaller box to send it all back in.
No stranger to collection tubes, I wasn't quite looking forward to spitting up to the top of the line on this tube. As I learned previously, generating enough spit for the collection process (which helps ensure the company has enough DNA to run it a second time in case of errors) can be hard work.
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