Gawker
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rumormonger
Layoffs Rumored at Mrs. Google's Genetics Company
Genetics company 23AndMe can purportedly help you predict your health in decades to come, but we're hearing the three-year-old company can't even forecast its own near-term needs: A tipster tells us the company laid off seven employees. More »
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By Ryan TateComment by the_k_record: Maybe they should hire Camille from NYC Prep. 1 Responses | Other threads
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googleplex
Google Moves in with Founder's Wife's Company
Google's complicated relationship with its founder's wife just got more tangled. Anne Wojcicki's genetic-testing startup, 23andMe, not only took a second round of funding from the company — it's now cohabitating with the search giant. More »
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By Ryan TateComment by TouchedByAnOctopus: Anne had irritable bowel syndrome through the whole pregnancy. You would be in a conference room with her and she... 2 Responses | Other threads
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23andme
Mrs. Google's Science Project Not So Scientific, Say Actual Scientists
23andMe, the Google-backed genetic-testing startup run by Anne Wojcicki, the wife of Google cofounder Sergey Brin, has everyone from Rupert Murdoch on down spitting into test tubes at parties. Too bad it's useless! More »
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By Owen ThomasComment by propertius: She looks more game than testy. 5 Responses | Other threads
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valley spawn
Google Founder Sacrifices Son, Last Shreds of Integrity to Science
Google cofounder Sergey Brin and wife Anne Wojcicki are so unconcerned with privacy that they're donating their newborn son's DNA to science. So surely they won't mind if we tell you the kid's name. More »
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By Owen ThomasComment by tokenfemale: I have been told for over 10 years 'I could have parkinsons, but they can't test, so all they know... 3 Responses | Other threads
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Ingrates of Silicon Valley
Lazy Michael J. Fox discovered disease too late
If only Michael J. Fox, the actor and professional Parkinson's disease victim, had been an Internet genius like Google cofounder Sergey Brin, think of the good he might have done.
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By Owen ThomasComment by MissNormaDesmond: Look, I pretty much adore Michael J. Fox, and maybe I'm totally a horrible human being, but I was raised... 12 Responses | Other threads
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caption contest
I'm born lucky
Anne Wojcicki, the wife of Sergey Brin, is exceedingly pregnant — and Brin himself has been spotted at the maternity ward. What will their baby look like? Wojcicki's genetic-testing startup, 23andMe, lets you spit into a vial and get a map to your genetic future. MakeMeBabies is not nearly as scientific, but we thought we'd run the couple's photos through to get a glimpse of their future progeny. Can you suggest a caption for the billionaire baby to be? The best will become the post's new headline. Yesterday's winner: "French blue shirt, khakis shortage hits Valley hard." (Image by MakeMeBabies) -
anne wojcicki
Sergey Brin's very pregnant wife on Oprah
How long ago did we learn Anne Wojcicki, wife of Google cofounder Sergey Brin, was pregnant with the couple's first child? April, which was seven months ago. What a clever idea, to have a baby as a publicity stunt for her startup! It got her on Oprah. On the talk show, Wojcicki disclosed that she's nine months pregnant. "Please have the baby right now!" said the talk-show host. Wojcicki then jumped right into an infomercial for 23andMe's genetic-testing service and her nonprofit work on Parkinson's, a condition for which Brin is at risk. Free advertising for someone whose husband is worth billions of dollars: There is a reason the rich are rich.
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By Owen ThomasComment by Ted Dziuba: "There is a reason the rich are rich" ...because they married money? 1 Responses | Other threads
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great moments in journalism
Why Time gave 23andMe a prize
Time's Anita Hamilton is refreshingly honest about why the magazine has picked 23andMe, the mail-order DNA testing outfit, as one of its top innovations of 2008: Anne Wojcicki, the startup's cofounder, is married to Google cofounder Sergey Brin. Few outlets are as forthright in displaying their motivations for celebrating 23andMe, arguably the least innovative and least scientific of the retail DNA tests on the market. Give Anne Wojcicki a prize, and her loyal husband will attend the awards ceremony. It's a great way to get Googler star power on the cheap.
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By Owen ThomasComment by GenevaRam: This insider-love has been going on forever. It's only because of the transparency of the Web (and those willing to... more » | Other threads
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rumormonger
Google secretly investing in zeppelins?
Zeppelins went out of style when the Hindenburg went down in flames over New Jersey. But Airship Ventures, a startup backed by quirky angel investor Esther Dyson, is trying to bring them back. With a little help from Dyson's friends. Airship's Zeppelin NT, the first to fly over the U.S. in 70 years, has just completed a transatlantic journey and is scheduled to touch down this afternoon at the Nasa-operated Moffett Field, where it will be permanently stationed, operating aerial tours of the Bay Area. Curious — a private enterprise making use of public lands. Nasa's excuse for hosting the zeppelin: It will be used for scientific investigations and other public-spirited purposes. Where have we heard that before? More »
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By Owen ThomasComment by WagCurious: Am I the first one to notice that the array of armaments that Google has assembled in Santa Clara could... 2 Responses | Other threads
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biotech
How Sergey Brin can avoid Parkinson's Disease
Google cofounder Sergey Brin has popped his blogging cherry, using his first post as an excuse to promote his wife Anne Wojcicki's personal genetic testing company 23andMe. Turns out Brin has a genetic mutation likely inherited from his mother that indicates a higher risk for Parkinson's Disease — a debilitating condition that affects movement, resulting in tremors and eventual paralysis. Which would certainly be a terrible fate for a gymnast who loves kite-surfing. Brin has "decades to prepare for it," though. My suggestion? More »
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By Jackson WestComment by blahblob: I have a hard time believing that too.blogspot.com has been available for all these years, I suspect Sergey used some... 1 Responses | Other threads
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rupert murdoch
Spit Parties: The Trend Piece That Will Destroy The World
Guess what you're doing about six-to-10 weeks from now? Going to a "spit party!" Thanks to some dynamite PR and one very fancy guest list, plucky young tech firm 23andMe has made DNA testing parties the hottest new trend around. And they're bringing it to the masses—via media moguls at Fashion Week parties, that is. Don't worry, it will eventually trickle down to the rest of us. We say plucky, of course, because the firm was co-founded by the wife of Google oligarch Sergey Brin, and has received "token funding" from Harvey Weinstein and Wendi Murdoch, wife of Rupert, and is having its coming out party this week in the New Yorker and the Times. It's the Little Startup That Could! More »
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Comment by Pope John Peeps II: Are we saving Dash's genes for photoshop creation? 2 Responses | Other threads
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biotech
23andMe geneticists want to knock off Fashion Week cheekbones
Google-backed startup 23andMe is working on fixing the Bay Area beauty gap by convincing the pretty people at New York's Fashion Week to submit genetic samples for the new, low cost of $399. As non-California residents, Manhattanites represent a genetic talent pool untouched by regulatory agencies in the startup's home state. 23andMe cofounders Anne Wojcicki and Linda Avey, pictured here, see fashionistas as runway dilettantes, and therefore brick-dumb. More »
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By Jackson WestComment by omgiamcommentingonvalleywag: Actually 23andme has sorted out their regulatory hurdles in California but NOT in New York. more » | Other threads
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biotech
23andMe promises to explain your hatred of cilantro — with science!
Got to hand it to the team at 23andMe — when employees say that their personal gene sequencing services serve no medical purpose whatsoever, they mean it. Case in point is the company's latest blog post promises that with enough customer feedback, they may just be able to answer the age old question "Is my distaste for common herb cilantro a product of nature or nurture?" [The Spittoon] (Photo by Simon J. Hernandez)
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By Jackson WestComment by omgiamcommentingonvalleywag: Yeah, but obviously if they can understand why you love/hate cilantro they can also understand many other medically relevant things... more » | Other threads
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George Church
23andMe advisor bidding for Google-backed prize with Google's help
Genetics researcher George Church is a great believer in openness, according to a profile of him in Wired. So he shouldn't mind a bit if we disclose some facts about his business dealings that we find fascinating. To wit: More »
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By Owen ThomasComment by BioBuddy: Google and its founders supporting the Personal Genome Project and the X-prize in genomics competition ARE GOOD things.... The fact... more » | Other threads
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23andme
Google cofounder funnels money to wife's startup through Michael J. Fox charity
Google employees must avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest, according to the company's code of conduct. But Sergey Brin is exempt from such bureaucratic trifles. The cofounder skirted ethical lines when he loaned money to 23andMe, a genetic-testing startup cofounded by his wife, Anne Wojcicki, and later had Google repay that loan in the course of investing in that company. The Google board's audit committee and CEO Eric Schmidt blithely signed off on the deal, however. Now, Brin has found a new way to route money to 23andMe, this time through a charity — thereby boosting, at least notionally, the value of Google's investment and his wife's net worth. Brin can claim it's all for a good cause, but the deal stinks to high heaven. More » -
job descriptions from the future
23andMe looking for designer comfortable with "vague" as directions
Designers, want to torture yourself in a contract position surrounded by smarmy, know-it-all PhDs who give you only the vaguest of instructions and expect you to master the intricacies of biotechnology overnight? Lured by the promise that you might one day get hired on full-time and get stock options at a company backed by Google and run by Google cofounder Sergey Brin's wife? Unbothered by the fact that the California Department of Public Health has just banned the company's service? Then, dear visual-thinking friends, this position for a graphic designer at 23andMe is for you! The job description: More »
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By Owen ThomasComment by damnedfool: technically it's not "banned." if you ordered the test today, you'd have no problem getting the results. more » | Other threads
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23andme
23andMe told to cease and desist by California Department of Public Health
Not a good week for the Wojcicki family. Googler Susan Wojcicki has been caught making expensive demands on Google's daycare facilities. Meanwhile, her sister Anne, wife of Google cofounder Sergey Brin, is fending off cease-and-desist letters from pesky health regulators. Anne's company, Google-backed 23andMe, was told to stop offering the tests until officials could complete an investigation into whether sales to California residents were by doctor's orders, as required by state law. The genetics startup risks fines of up to $3,000 a day if it doesn't comply. More »
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By Jackson WestComment by sample032: @Ted Dziuba: I thought they had more important things to do... like balance the budget. Oh. Fuckers. more » | Other threads
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d6 live coverage
Facebook board member lunches with Mrs. Rupert Murdoch
CARLSBAD, CA — Who are those cool cats in sunglasses at D6? Why, it's Jim Breyer of Accel Partners, a board member at Facebook, lunching with Wendi Murdoch, wife of the News Corp. CEO and chairwoman of MySpace China. Also at the table: Martha Stewart, seen here to the left; Vinod Khosla of Khosla Ventures; and Anne Wojcicki of 23andMe. -
biotech
23andMe admits personalized genetic test serves no medical purpose
Facing possible fines and jail time, local gene sequencers Navigenics and 23andMe will have to get permits if they want to continue testing resident of New York state. Meanwhile, California is investigating 12 complaints against unnamed gene sequencing companies, with officials noting that "all genetic tests must be ordered by a licensed physician." Trying to distance themselves from health regulators, 23andMe spokesman Paul Kranholdt told Forbes that "23andMe's services are not medical ... they are educational." In other words, getting tested amounts to a $1,000 exercise in vanity. No wonder people in the Valley love it.
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By Jackson WestComment by Bricked: Or choose the poor man's alternate. The Genographic Project from National Geographic cost 100 bucks. [www3.nationalgeographic.com] more » | Other threads
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biotech
Actual doctors urge skepticism of DNA-sequencing fad
Personal gene sequencing is all the rage among technophiles. But the medical establishment isn't necessarily on board — for starters, no insurance company will cover the cost, and doctors aren't always prepared to appropriately evaluate the results of a test. In an editorial in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers concluded that the time for personalized genetic testing is "Not now — ask again in a few years." 23andMe, which was cofounded by Sergey Brin's wife Anne Wojcicki and counts Google as an investor, offers a test for the low, low price of $1,000. New startup Navigenics will do the same for $2,500. But they will only sequence a few known genes, there are a lot of caveats in the fine print, and there are serious privacy concerns. So what's the upside? More »
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By Jackson WestComment by Adam Rock: There's also deCODE Genetics ([www.decodediagnostics.com]), which will give you more specific test results for $200-$500 depending on the test (glaucoma,... more » | Other threads
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great moments in genetic testing
Swingin' single Michael Arrington gets a date — sort of
We learned a lot about TechCrunch's Michael Arrington yesterday. Writing about his 23andMe genetics profile, we now know he is quite tall, has a lower than normal chance of getting Type II diabetes and has wet earwax. Lovely. We also know that Michael Arrington is single, something he blames us for. Sorry, buddy. But, things could be looking brighter! Arrington got an unusual proposition in the comments on his post: "I am not interested just in your DNA results. you seem fairly successful, may I have your DNA? (looking for a donor)." His answer: More »
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Comment by godospoons: @Dweezil Don't bust on his weight... there's just more of him to hold in contempt. more » | Other threads
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your privacy is an illusion
Genetics research + online health profiles = burgers
With the launch of Google's health data service, we're going to set aside our skepticism for a moment and think about what this could potentially mean for society. Nah, screw society — for me personally. Google cofounder Sergey Brin invested in his wife's genetics research startup. 23andMe takes cheek swabs from customers and spits out their genetic history. Board member Esther Dyson writes:a second goal of 23andMe [is] to collect a large database of genetic information and then come back to you over time with invitations to provide specific health data and participate in research.
Combining these data sets — health histories and extensive genetics information — could lead to significant breakthroughs in predicting future health issues. I think this means I can eat all the Yahoo burgers I want without worrying!
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Comment by doshomik: + [www.bloomberg.com] "Google has financially backed a project from a Harvard University scientist to unlock the secrets of common diseases by... more » | Other threads
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23andme
Genetic testing reveals Michael Arrington's chintzy nature
23andMe, the genetics startup cofounded by Anne Wojcicki and Linda Avey, has outed TechCrunch editor Michael Arrington as a cheapskate. When Arrington discovered that 23andMe was handing out its $999 testing "Spit Kits" for free at the World Economic Forum in Davos, he hit up Wojcicki and Avey for a refund on the kit he'd already bought. They refused. Arrington nevertheless wrangled a free kit from the pair, which he's now giving away to TechCrunch readers. More »
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By Owen ThomasComment by Mary Jane Irwin: @well-seasoned: And I thought it was a clever Colbert reference. [www.comedycentral.com] more » | Other threads
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executive summary
Wired in 1,200 words
Wired 15.12 comes in at two pounds, half the weight of a September Vogue. Most of it's the water weight of ads and a shopping guide, and I've summarized the meat of the issue in 1,200 words, so now you don't need to pick it up and risk ergonomic injury. More » -
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Comment by googoobaby: Isn't Sergey more or less a cucumber with a billion bucks attached? more » | Other threads
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larry and sergey
Google boys seriously in love with biotech
What are Sergey Brin and Larry Page really obsessed about? Look no further than their choice in lifemates, says Attila Csordas. Sergey Brin married 23andMe cofounder Anne Wojcicki — and also lent the company $2.6 million, which Google repaid when it invested $3.9 million in the company. Larry Page's fiancée, Lucy Southworth, is close to earning her Ph.D. — a feat neither Page nor Brin has accomplished. Her field of study is biomedical informatics, a field which harnesses high-powered computing for biotech research. Larry and Sergey made their billions on online advertising, a business the pair openly despised when they created the Google search engine. The heart has its own code, and in Larry and Sergey's case, I think it's DNA base pairs.
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By Owen ThomasComment by Mcneri: I beg to differ....with hindsight. I recently caught Larry Page on an obscure wordpress dot com blog. While he could... more » | Other threads
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web 2.0 to english
How soon can I Google my date's DNA?
J. Craig Venter is the scientist whose startup beat the government-funded Human Genome Project to mapping a single person's entire DNA. Whose DNA? Duh, Venter's! On the last morning of the Web 2.0 Summit, Venter brought the audience up to date on the faster-than-Moore's-Law advances in reading and writing genes. More »
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By Paul BoutinComment by elvenjewel: I think people read Scoble's blog for the same reasons they watched "Hey, Paula!" -- sheer entertainment value. more » | Other threads
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biotech
Haha, I saw your mom's genes
Say what you want about the alleged nepotism behind 23andme, but this genetics startup founded by Anne Wojcicki (recently married to Google co-founder Sergey Brin) sounds sweet. According to Forbes, clients send in a cheek swab, get back info on their DNA, including information on their ancestry and even distant relatives. I bet that sensitive information is behind a lot of security, right? More »
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By Nick DouglasComment by bkkpartyboy: This is an amazingly novel concept. They are really on to something. I mean, with national geographic [www.nationalgeographic.com] I only... more » | Other threads
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conflicts of interest
Arrogant Googlers tempt the gods
Whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad. I'm not sure if Euripides, the Greek playwright, had Google's management team in mind when he wrote that, but it sure fits. Google, despite the occasional lost deal, billion-dollar lawsuit, and PR black eye, continues to succeed spectacularly as a business. "Somehow they continue shitting more money than you or i could realistically comprehend," writes one Valleywag reader. Indeed. And that money is driving the people who run Google insane. CEO Eric Schmidt's cosseting of girlfriend Marcy Simon with a plum PR job is just the latest, most blatant sign of that madness. More » -
geek love
It's a good thing
As new husband Sergey Brin stands watch, 23andMe's Anne Wojcicki, recently married to the Google cofounder, shows photos from her recent wedding to home-style guru Martha Stewart, at this weekend's Science Foo Camp nerdfest. No wedding bells, at the moment, for Stewart, who's merely going steady with early Microsoft employee Charles Simonyi. More »
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Comment by Valleygrrl: Each of them could buy and sell the commenters on this thread a few times over, including me. I'd take... more » | Other threads
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wedding announcements
A gay venture capitalist ties the knot
The Valley styles itself as gay-friendly. But how many queer venture capitalists can you think of? Here's a sign, in the month of gay pride, of change in the wind: NEA's Patrick Chung recently held a commitment ceremony with partner Matthew Burt, a church choir director. After the jump, more on Chung and Burt's Valley links, and a photo of the wedding party. More »
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