From: Paula Burch <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Thu, 3 Oct 2002 13:04:12 -0500 (CDT) Subject: Your Own Customized DNA Lunch Box
Is this funny only to people who work in this area? Found on the web: <http://www.cafeshops.com/cp/store.aspx?s=fundna> "That's right! We will sequence your DNA code from a hair or mouth swab sample you send us, and imprint your unique DNA sequence to customize merchandise of your choice. "Sending a hair or cheek swab sample is safe and easy. Thanks to technologies developed for the Human Genome Project, it is now possible to offer this service to the general public. "Click the designs below to browse our selection...." The majority of the samples shown include a region of DNA code of only sixteen letters. I did a quick search and found the example sequence on human chromosome 14, a mouse mRNA, drosophila chromosome 2R, and human chromosome 15, among many others. Even if the genome were completely random, chances would be good that yours would contain at least one copy of any given 16-mer, since 4 to the sixteenth power is a number not much larger than the 3 billion bases in half of a human genotype. :-) Never mind that different humans' genomes are over 99.99% identical. Paula (still working at the Human Genome Sequencing Center)
