Will SNP Tests Go the Way of the CRT Monitor?

At Genetic Future, blogger Daniel MacArthur warns readers who are thinking of buying a SNP scan from one of the three leading personal genomics companies to think twice. First, these tests gauge variation by looking at common variants, which misses the point:  disease isn't usually caused by simply one allelic mutation, but by many rare variants. Secondly, gene chips won't do the job here. "The only realistic way to detect such variants will be through large-scale sequencing," he writes.  In the coming years, 23andMe predicts it will be able to offer a full sequencing profile for the price it charges now for its genotyping profile, he notes.