Want to Keep Your Genome Safe? There's an App for That

NOW there is a smartphone app that will allow you to carry around an encrypted copy of your genome, safe in the knowledge that the DNA won't fall into the wrong hands. With prices for DNA sequencing falling fast, this app may not be as futuristic as it sounds. The idea behind Genodroid, the work of a team led by Emiliano De Cristofaro at Xerox's PARC lab in Palo Alto, California, is to investigate how people might safely transport the personal information stored in their genome. At the moment, sequencing remains a boutique industry, but already 23&Me based nearby in Mountain View can provide a limited genome for just $299.