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Too soon to cheer the personal genome revolution?

By Peter Aldhous

6 January 2010

IN PUBLISHING, timing is king. So it’s a shame for Francis Collins that his new guide to “the revolution in personalized medicine” hits shelves just as the uprising seems to be fizzling out.

Collins wrote the book after having his own DNA scanned by three companies that launched competing “personal genome” services just a couple of years ago. But many early adopters – myself included – have been underwhelmed by the insights gained through such services, given the current state of genetic knowledge. And in an economic slump, a product costing between $400 and $2500 is a luxury that has…

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