ORIG3N Genetic Home Mini DNA Test Kit, Recovery & Renewal

*** amended here on 8/26/17 to respond to Orig3n's comment to my review (visible when using a desktop to access Amazon, not visible on a mobile) ***Dear Orig3n:I too had thought this was "just" a Superhero DNA test, but after reviewing your website, that's some scary [insert expletive here]! Per your website, in several places, you indicate that you have the world's largest cell repository - - my Spidey sense started tingling at this one, and went ballistic when in a completely separate section, in your mission statement, it is written that you turn our cells into Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells to use in the study of regenerative medicine. See here (p.s. I kept a screenshot): https://orig3n.com/our-mission/Great! You'll find a cure for illnesses, etc. But shouldn't you be more up front with your customers, umm, "research subjects".I did not provide informed consent for you to retain my cells after testing for "Superhero" qualities, and I sure did not provide consent for you to turn my cells into stem cells for research.So please explain: am I misinterpreting something here too? And what is your plan for destroying my cheek swab & any others (plus derivative products) obtained without informed consent?P.s. because this is now very creepy, I am reducing the review to a one- star.*** original review below ***If you are the type of person who thinks swabbing their cheek is fun, or who believes in the Easter Bunny, or who thinks that just maybe there is a winning PowerBall ticket inside the product, then by all means spend $29.99 to purchase the Superhero DNA test.I purchased the test for the entertainment value and because I'd never swabbed my cheek before for anything. So I wasn't expecting much from the results and "not much" (at least, from the scientific perspective) is exactly what I got.The cheek cell-filled swab made its way cross-country from California to the address on the return label (MA) in two days, so perhaps part of the $29.99 went to paying express postage on the pre-paid label. Results were available online in about a day.The reliability of the test is in question not only for the speed of the response (how much time was spent actually validating results vs responding with a pre-formed set of data most people would not question?) but also because there is at least one glaring scientific error in the science of this particular test.The Superhero DNA test report connects the Foxp2 gene (one of the genes supposedly tested) to Chromosome 6. In short, the Foxp2 gene is partially responsible for the ability to formulate new language skills and to problem- solve effectively. While the Superhero DNA test states this gene is on Chromosome 6, it is actually on Chromosome 7. To check this for yourself, look up "Foxp2" and "Max Planck Institute" in Germany or "Foxp2" and "US NIH" for the US National Institutes of Health.As for the entertainment value, I did get a lot of laughs (therefore the two-star review). The Superhero DNA test report stated I was "normal" in all 6 genes that formed part of the report. The interesting thing is that I am a polyglot who speaks multiple languages fluently - - and not just from the Indo-European language group, but from the Finno-Ugric group as well), and I am a professional troubleshooter whose job it is to solve problems & develop new processes to improve qualitative & quantitative performance.So either "normal" means that we are all capable of learning multiple languages, or it could be indicative of cross- contamination, or it could mean that intelligence, language ability, etc. really requires quantitative analysis (i.e. the combination of several genes together) and so testing for just two genes is a qualitative game & not sound science.Well, for my next bit of gene-related entertainment, I might swab my pet's cheek & wait with amused anticipation to see whether Orig3n thinks my pet is smarter than I am.Or I might just save the $29.99 & whatever else the other Orig3n tests cost and never again buy another one of their products. After all, I can only laugh so much before my wallet starts to hurt.

Amazon can be a blessing and a curse for smaller companies... THe promotion run here initially overwhelmed Orig3n lab and hence the response time was sub-optimal. Company has since fixed that issue and is VERY responsive and courteous.What I like about Orig3n is that you cover the "lighter" side of genetics and don't compete with players such as 23 and me in areas such as hereditary disease. That certainly alleviates concerns with days privacy and such. I also like the textual summaries in the reports as well as the percentile comparison with the rest of the population.Some very useful scientific background provided.If you are about self-improvement or just wanted to confirm some assumptions you have always had about your talents and shortcomings, here is a good start.

Great price for the DNA kit, super easy to use. There is an app you download and enter in the specifics so they can notify you of the results. I sent in my sample in May of 2021. It is now the end of November and I still haven't received my results. I have sent 2 emails, to which they replied that they are backed up due to Covid... If you are looking to get your results in a timely manner, this is not the company to use. Very disappointed... So now it's May 2022 and I still HAVEN'T received my results, only now when I click on the app they are saying I will have my results WHEN they receive my DNA sample. Does that mean they lost my DNA sample? If so, why haven't they responded to my multiple emails? I would accept a replacement test (which costs less than half of what I paid for my test) if Orig3n would like to make things right.

Total waste of time and money. Spent way too much of my life trying to get these results. Never got the results. Do not buy

Interesting, but I found that over half of the testing was related to addiction and marijuana (not just limited to the Addiction specific portion of the results). Many of the behavior genes tested measure how a person responds to marijuana, nicotine or amphetamines... given that that I do not utilize recreational drugs, and therefor don't have any need too now how much my fine motor movement may be impaired by cannibis, I unfortunately found it to be a waste of money.

There is little to say about the product itself. You receive a sample collection swab, a postage-paid envelope, and a set of easy to follow instructions.Unfortunately, there is no feedback once the sample is mailed. I have received no notification that Orig3n has received my sample. My results are due, and I contacted Orig3n support by e-mail, but five days have passed with no response from them. For the price of the product, I would hope for better feedback.UPDATE: A few days after posting the negative review above, I finally started to get some feedback from Orig3n. My results followed in short order. They are as interesting as they are confusing, which is not surprising. There are results for each gene tested, but no overall summary that gives insight to a fitness program. For example, I have some genes that indicate I am suited for endurance sports such as long distance running, but others that indicate that perhaps endurance is not my forte. On the other hand, I have more consistent results in other genes that match my experience with training.If nothing else, the results are interesting and entertaining if not entirely useful. Again, I wish customer support had been more responsive. I went for weeks wondering if I had just thrown away cash before I finally heard from Orig3n that they had received my sample, and even then only after I had contacted them.