New technology for dating a child before conception

Today, GenePeeks introduced Matchright technology, which allows you to create digital embryos after mixing the DNA of two people about to become parents.



With it, you can make a clear picture of the health of the future child of these people, as well as learn about his eye color, approximate height and weight, etc.
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The new technology will be available in two American fertility clinics already at the end of this year. Thus, women will be able, for example, to screen out donors who don’t like, for example, with any genetic disease.

According to GenePeeks co-founder Lee Silver:

The technology recognizes any diseases and any signs that have a genetic origin. Including some of those whose genetic basis has not yet been discovered. But the priority, of course, is medical problems. With the help of technology, such rare hereditary diseases, such as cystic fibrosis or Tay-Sachs disease, can be identified that occur in a child only when both parents are carriers of a mutation in a single gene.

Typically, screening for genetic disorders involves deciphering the DNA of future parents. Matchright, using this information to recreate a digital genetic recombination process, allows physicians to look at a set of possible embryo genes.

Before a woman selects a sperm donor, the GenePeeks algorithm will present a thousand hypothetical combinations for each applicant. Matchright allows you to detect mutations in individual genes that can cause about 500 rare diseases. By paying about $ 2,000 for this service, a list of potentially safe donors will be provided to the woman.

To verify this method, information was used by unknown men and women whose genomes were sequenced as part of the 1000 Genomes project.


In the future, it is planned to offer technology to couples who want to conceive a child in a natural way. Information about the unborn child, not related to diseases, will not be shared with potential parents. Except for cases, if, say, technology is used by childless or same-sex couples who want to give birth to a child from a donor, which would be similar in appearance to both partners