The Experts below are selected from a list of 3891 Experts worldwide ranked by ideXlab platform
Peter M. Vallone - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Characterization of NIST human mitochondrial DNA SRM-2392 and SRM-2392-I standard reference materials by next generation sequencing
Forensic science international. Genetics, 2017Co-Authors: Sarah Riman, Kevin M. Kiesler, Lisa A. Borsuk, Peter M. ValloneAbstract:Abstract Standard Reference Materials SRM 2392 and 2392-I are intended to provide quality control when amplifying and sequencing human mitochondrial genome sequences. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) offers these SRMs to laboratories performing DNA-based forensic human identification, molecular diagnosis of mitochondrial diseases, mutation detection, evolutionary anthropology, and Genetic Genealogy. The entire mtGenome (∼16569bp) of SRM 2392 and 2392-I have previously been characterized at NIST by Sanger sequencing. Herein, we used the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy offered by next generation sequencing (NGS) to: (1) re-sequence the certified values of the SRM 2392 and 2392-I; (2) confirm Sanger data with a high coverage new sequencing technology; (3) detect lower level heteroplasmies (
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The impact of additional Y-STR loci on resolving common haplotypes and closely related individuals.
Forensic science international. Genetics, 2007Co-Authors: Amy E. Decker, Margaret C. Kline, Peter M. Vallone, John M. ButlerAbstract:Commercial Y-STR kits have permitted laboratories to go beyond the original nine minimal haplotype loci (MHL) and to discover the advantage of additional Y-STR loci in resolving common haplotypes. In an effort to examine the impact of Y-STR markers beyond the 17 loci now available in commercial kit form, new Y-STR loci are being investigated on a common set of samples representative of the major U.S. population groups. Additional Y-STRs can also increase the power of discrimination between closely related male individuals, which is important not only in forensics but also in the paternity and Genetic Genealogy communities.
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Short communication The impact of additional Y-STR loci on resolving common haplotypes and closely related individuals §
2007Co-Authors: Amy E. Decker, Margaret C. Kline, Peter M. Vallone, John M. ButlerAbstract:Commercial Y-STR kits have permitted laboratories to go beyond the original nine minimal haplotype loci (MHL) and to discover the advantage of additional Y-STR loci in resolving common haplotypes. In an effort to examine the impact of Y-STR markers beyond the 17 loci now available in commercial kit form, new Y-STR loci are being investigated on a common set of samples representative of the major U.S. population groups. Additional Y-STRs can also increase the power of discrimination between closely related male individuals, which is important not only in forensics but also in the paternity and Genetic Genealogy communities. # 2007 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
Debbie Kennett - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Investigative Genetic Genealogy: Current methods, knowledge and practice
Forensic science international. Genetics, 2021Co-Authors: Daniel Kling, Christopher Phillips, Debbie Kennett, Andreas O. TillmarAbstract:Investigative Genetic Genealogy (IGG) has emerged as a new, rapidly growing field of forensic science. We describe the process whereby dense SNP data, commonly comprising more than half a million markers, are employed to infer distant relationships. By distant we refer to degrees of relatedness exceeding that of first cousins. We review how methods of relationship matching and SNP analysis on an enlarged scale are used in a forensic setting to identify a suspect in a criminal investigation or a missing person. There is currently a strong need in forensic Genetics not only to understand the underlying models to infer relatedness but also to fully explore the DNA technologies and data used in IGG. This review brings together many of the topics and examines their effectiveness and operational limits, while suggesting future directions for their forensic validation. We further investigated the methods used by the major direct-to-consumer (DTC) Genetic ancestry testing companies as well as submitting a questionnaire where providers of forensic Genetic Genealogy summarized their operation/services. Although most of the DTC market, and Genetic Genealogy in general, has undisclosed, proprietary algorithms we review the current knowledge where information has been discussed and published more openly.
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Problematizing consent: searching Genetic Genealogy databases for law enforcement purposes
New Genetics and Society, 2020Co-Authors: Gabrielle Samuel, Debbie KennettAbstract:Genetic Genealogy databases have become particularly attractive to law enforcement agencies, especially in the United States (US), which have started to employ genealogists to search them with unkn...
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The impact of investigative Genetic Genealogy: perceptions of UK professional and public stakeholders.
Forensic science international. Genetics, 2020Co-Authors: Gabrielle Samuel, Debbie KennettAbstract:Law enforcement authorities in the United States have been increasingly employing genealogists to search Genetic Genealogy databases with unknown origin DNA from unidentified human remains, or from a serious crime scene, to identify the victim or a potential suspected perpetrator. There are benefits to this form of searching in terms of public safety and bringing justice to victims of crime, and such searches are legally permissible. However, ethical questions arise regarding whether database users have a reasonable expectation that their DNA information will be searched by law enforcement in this way, and so, in turn, questions about consent and privacy have emerged. While initial surveys suggest generally positive support for using Genetic Genealogy methods, less work has explored the underlying reasons behind this support. We were interested in exploring the perceptions of key stakeholders in the UK with relation to this, specifically for the purposes of solving serious crimes. Through a series of 45 predominantly UK public and stakeholder interviews, we show a general support for the technology, though interviewees were also able to articulate a range of social and ethical concerns. Support was associated with the extent interviewees perceived the technology as impacting the current use of Genetic Genealogy databases in terms of individual Genealogy database users, the Genealogy community, and/or Genetic Genealogy and law enforcement practices. We present our findings and discuss their implications.
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An empirical investigation into the effectiveness of Genetic Genealogy to identify individuals in the UK.
Forensic science international. Genetics, 2020Co-Authors: James A. Thomson, Debbie Kennett, Tim Clayton, John Cleary, Maurice Gleeson, Michelle Leonard, Donna RutherfordAbstract:Abstract The use of Genetic Genealogy techniques to identify Joseph James DeAngelo as the prime suspect in the Golden State Killer case in 2018 has opened up a new approach to investigation of cold cases. Since that breakthrough, Genetic Genealogy methods have been reported to be applied to around 100 cases. To date, all of these reports relate to investigations in the US, where the high uptake of “direct-to-consumer” (DTC) Genetic testing by individuals conducting private ancestral research has provided the necessary publicly available data for successful forensic investigations. We have conducted a study to assess the likely effectiveness of Genetic Genealogy techniques if applied to investigations in the UK. Ten volunteers provided their own SNP array data, downloaded from a DTC provider of their choice. These data sets were anonymised and uploaded to the GEDmatch Genesis Genealogy website, mimicking data sets from unsourced crime samples or unidentified human remains. A team of experienced genealogists then attempted to identify the donors of the anonymised data sets by working with matches on the database and identifying points where the matches’ trees intersect to determine their shared family lineages which were further investigated using traditional resources (such as birth, marriage, death and census records, social media and online family trees). Through these methods, four of the ten donors were identified, at least to the level of one of a set of siblings. This confirms that, despite the over-representation of US citizens on publicly accessible Genealogy databases, there is still potential for effective use in investigations outside the US where legislation permits. One of our four identified individuals was of Indian heritage (via St Vincent and the Grenadines) highlighting that in the right circumstances individuals of non-European origin can be identified.
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using Genetic Genealogy databases in missing persons cases and to develop suspect leads in violent crimes
Forensic Science International, 2019Co-Authors: Debbie KennettAbstract:In the last year direct-to-consumer (DTC) Genetic Genealogy databases have been used to identify suspects and missing persons in over fifty cold cases, many of which have been unsolved for decades. Genealogists worked on these cases in collaboration with law enforcement agencies. Raw DNA data files were uploaded to the Genealogy websites GEDmatch and FamilyTreeDNA, and identification was made by tracing the family trees of relatives who were predicted to be close Genetic matches in the database. Such searches have far-reaching consequences because they affect not just those who have consented to upload their DNA results to these databases but also all of their relatives, regardless of whether or not they have taken a DNA test. This article provides an overview of the methods used, the potential privacy and security issues, and the wider implications for society. There is an urgent need for forensic scientists, bioethicists, law enforcement agencies, Genetic genealogists and other interested parties to work together to produce international guidelines and policies to ensure that the techniques are used responsibly and effectively.
Maarten Larmuseau - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Estimating Y-Str Mutation Rates and Tmrca Through Deep-Rooting Italian Pedigrees
Scientific reports, 2019Co-Authors: Alessio Boattini, Maarten Larmuseau, Stefania Sarno, Alessandra M. Mazzarisi, Cinzia Viroli, Sara De Fanti, Carla Bini, Susi Pelotti, Donata LuiselliAbstract:In the population genomics era, the study of Y-chromosome variability is still of the greatest interest for several fields ranging from molecular anthropology to forensics and Genetic Genealogy. In particular, mutation rates of Y-chromosomal Short Tandem Repeats markers (Y-STRs) are key parameters for different interdisciplinary applications. Among them, testing the patrilineal relatedness between individuals and calculating their Time of Most Recent Common Ancestors (TMRCAs) are of the utmost importance. To provide new valuable estimates and to address these issues, we typed 47 Y-STRs (comprising Yfiler, PowerPlex23 and YfilerPlus loci, the recently defined Rapidly Mutating [RM] panel and 11 additional markers often used in Genetic genealogical applications) in 135 individuals belonging to 66 deep-rooting paternal genealogies from Northern Italy. Our results confirmed that the Genealogy approach is an effective way to obtain reliable Y-STR mutation rate estimates even with a limited number of samples. Moreover, they showed that the impact of multi-step mutations and backmutations is negligible within the temporal scale usually adopted by forensic and Genetic Genealogy analyses. We then detected a significant association between the number of mutations within genealogies and observed TMRCAs. Therefore, we compared observed and expected TMRCAs by implementing a Bayesian procedure originally designed by Walsh (2001) and showed that the method yields a good performance (up to 96.72%), especially when using the Infinite Alleles Model (IAM).
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Genetic‐Genealogy approach reveals low rate of extrapair paternity in historical Dutch populations
American journal of human biology : the official journal of the Human Biology Council, 2017Co-Authors: Maarten Larmuseau, Sofie Claerhout, Leen Gruyters, Kelly Nivelle, Michiel Vandenbosch, Anke Peeters, Pieter Van Den Berg, Tom Wenseleers, Ronny DecorteAbstract:Objective Evolutionary theory has shown that seeking out extrapair paternity (EPP) can be a viable reproductive strategy for both sexes in pair-bonded species, also in humans. As yet, estimates of the contemporary or historical EPP rate in human population are still rare. In the present study, we estimated the historical EPP rate in the Dutch population over the last 400 years and compared the rate with those obtained for other human populations to determine the evolutionary, cultural, and socio-demographic factors that influence human cuckoldry behavior. Methods We estimated the historical EPP rate for the Dutch population via the “genealogical pair method”, in which the EPP rate is derived from Y-chromosome mismatches between pairs of individuals that, based on genealogical evidence, share a common paternal ancestor. Results Based on the analysis of 68 representative genealogical pairs, separated by a total of 1013 fertilization events, we estimated that the historical EPP rate for the Dutch population over the last 400 years was 0.96% per generation (95% confidence interval 0.46%-1.76%). Conclusion The Dutch EPP rate fits perfectly within the range reported for other contemporary and historical populations in Western Europe and was highly congruent with that estimated for neighboring Flanders, despite the socio-economic and religious differences between both populations. The estimated low EPP rate challenges the “dual mating strategy hypothesis” that states that women could obtain fitness benefits by securing investment from one man while cuckolding him to obtain good genes from an affair partner.
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Genetic Genealogy approach reveals low rate of extrapair paternity in historical dutch populations
American Journal of Health Behavior, 2017Co-Authors: Maarten Larmuseau, Sofie Claerhout, Leen Gruyters, Kelly Nivelle, Michiel Vandenbosch, Anke Peeters, Pieter Van Den Berg, Tom Wenseleers, Ronny DecorteAbstract:Objective Evolutionary theory has shown that seeking out extrapair paternity (EPP) can be a viable reproductive strategy for both sexes in pair-bonded species, also in humans. As yet, estimates of the contemporary or historical EPP rate in human population are still rare. In the present study, we estimated the historical EPP rate in the Dutch population over the last 400 years and compared the rate with those obtained for other human populations to determine the evolutionary, cultural, and socio-demographic factors that influence human cuckoldry behavior. Methods We estimated the historical EPP rate for the Dutch population via the “genealogical pair method”, in which the EPP rate is derived from Y-chromosome mismatches between pairs of individuals that, based on genealogical evidence, share a common paternal ancestor. Results Based on the analysis of 68 representative genealogical pairs, separated by a total of 1013 fertilization events, we estimated that the historical EPP rate for the Dutch population over the last 400 years was 0.96% per generation (95% confidence interval 0.46%-1.76%). Conclusion The Dutch EPP rate fits perfectly within the range reported for other contemporary and historical populations in Western Europe and was highly congruent with that estimated for neighboring Flanders, despite the socio-economic and religious differences between both populations. The estimated low EPP rate challenges the “dual mating strategy hypothesis” that states that women could obtain fitness benefits by securing investment from one man while cuckolding him to obtain good genes from an affair partner.
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the y chromosome as the most popular marker in Genetic Genealogy benefits interdisciplinary research
Human Genetics, 2017Co-Authors: Francesc Calafell, Maarten LarmuseauAbstract:The Y chromosome is currently by far the most popular marker in Genetic Genealogy that combines Genetic data and family history. This popularity is based on its haploid character and its close association with the patrilineage and paternal inherited surname. Other markers have not been found (yet) to overrule this status due to the low sensitivity and precision of autosomal DNA for Genetic genealogical applications, given the vagaries of recombination, and the lower capacities of mitochondrial DNA combined with an in general much lower interest in maternal lineages. The current knowledge about the Y chromosome and the availability of markers with divergent mutation rates make it possible to answer questions on relatedness levels which differ in time depth; from the individual and familial level to the surnames, clan and population level. The use of the Y chromosome in Genetic Genealogy has led to applications in several well-established research disciplines; namely in, e.g., family history, demography, anthropology, forensic sciences, population Genetics and sex chromosome evolution. The information obtained from analysing this chromosome is not only interesting for academic scientists but also for the huge and lively community of amateur genealogists and citizen-scientists, fascinated in analysing their own Genealogy or surname. This popularity, however, has also some drawbacks, mainly for privacy reasons related to the DNA donor, his close family and far-related namesakes. In this review paper we argue why Y-chromosomal analysis and its Genetic genealogical applications will still perform an important role in future interdisciplinary research.
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Genetic Genealogy reveals true y haplogroup of house of bourbon contradicting recent identification of the presumed remains of two french kings
European Journal of Human Genetics, 2014Co-Authors: Maarten Larmuseau, Philippe Delorme, Patrick Germain, Nancy Vanderheyden, Anja Gilissen, Anneleen Van Geystelen, Jeanjacques Cassiman, Ronny DecorteAbstract:Genetic analysis strongly increases the opportunity to identify skeletal remains or other biological samples from historical figures. However, validation of this identification is essential and should be done by DNA typing of living relatives. Based on the similarity of a limited set of Y-STRs, a blood sample and a head were recently identified as those belonging respectively to King Louis XVI and his paternal ancestor King Henry IV. Here, we collected DNA samples from three living males of the House of Bourbon to validate the since then controversial identification of these remains. The three living relatives revealed the Bourbon's Y-chromosomal variant on a high phyloGenetic resolution for several members of the lineage between Henry IV and Louis XVI. This ‘true' Bourbon's variant is different from the published Y-STR profiles of the blood as well as of the head. The earlier identifications of these samples can therefore not be validated. Moreover, matrilineal genealogical data revealed that the published mtDNA sequence of the head was also different from the one of a series of relatives. This therefore leads to the conclusion that the analyzed samples were not from the French kings. Our study once again demonstrated that in order to realize an accurate Genetic identification of historical remains DNA typing of living persons, who are paternally or maternally related with the presumed donor of the samples, is required.
Sarah Riman - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Characterization of NIST human mitochondrial DNA SRM-2392 and SRM-2392-I standard reference materials by next generation sequencing
Forensic science international. Genetics, 2017Co-Authors: Sarah Riman, Kevin M. Kiesler, Lisa A. Borsuk, Peter M. ValloneAbstract:Abstract Standard Reference Materials SRM 2392 and 2392-I are intended to provide quality control when amplifying and sequencing human mitochondrial genome sequences. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) offers these SRMs to laboratories performing DNA-based forensic human identification, molecular diagnosis of mitochondrial diseases, mutation detection, evolutionary anthropology, and Genetic Genealogy. The entire mtGenome (∼16569bp) of SRM 2392 and 2392-I have previously been characterized at NIST by Sanger sequencing. Herein, we used the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy offered by next generation sequencing (NGS) to: (1) re-sequence the certified values of the SRM 2392 and 2392-I; (2) confirm Sanger data with a high coverage new sequencing technology; (3) detect lower level heteroplasmies (
David Mittelman - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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The landscape of human STR variation
Genome research, 2014Co-Authors: Thomas Willems, Melissa Gymrek, David Mittelman, Gareth Highnam, Yaniv ErlichAbstract:Short tandem repeats are among the most polymorphic loci in the human genome. These loci play a role in the etiology of a range of Genetic diseases and have been frequently utilized in forensics, population Genetics, and Genetic Genealogy. Despite this plethora of applications, little is known about the variation of most STRs in the human population. Here, we report the largest-scale analysis of human STR variation to date. We collected information for nearly 700,000 STR loci across more than 1000 individuals in Phase 1 of the 1000 Genomes Project. Extensive quality controls show that reliable allelic spectra can be obtained for close to 90% of the STR loci in the genome. We utilize this call set to analyze determinants of STR variation, assess the human reference genome’s representation of STR alleles, find STR loci with common loss-of-function alleles, and obtain initial estimates of the linkage disequilibrium between STRs and common SNPs. Overall, these analyses further elucidate the scale of Genetic variation beyond classical point mutations.
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The Landscape of Human STR Variation
2014Co-Authors: Thomas Willems, Melissa Gymrek, David Mittelman, Gareth Highnam, Yaniv ErlichAbstract:Short Tandem Repeats are among the most polymorphic loci in the human genome. These loci play a role in the etiology of a range of Genetic diseases and have been frequently utilized in forensics, population Genetics, and Genetic Genealogy. Despite this plethora of applications, little is known about the variation of most STRs in the human population. Here, we report the largest-scale analysis of human STR variation to date. We collected information for nearly 700,000 STR loci across over 1,000 individuals in phase 1 of the 1000 Genomes Project. This process nearly saturated common STR variations. After employing a series of quality controls, we utilize this call set to analyze determinants of STR variation, assess the human reference genome?s representation of STR alleles, find STR loci with common loss-of-function alleles, and obtain initial estimates of the linkage disequilibrium between STRs and common SNPs. Overall, these analyses further elucidate the scale of Genetic variation beyond classical point mutations. The resource is publicly available at http://strcat.teamerlich.org/ both in raw format and via a graphical interface.
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Rumors of the death of consumer genomics are greatly exaggerated
Genome biology, 2013Co-Authors: Razib Khan, David MittelmanAbstract:The idea of computation is not new. Gottfried Leibniz in the 17th century had already outlined its basic elements in a formal sense [1], though one could argue that various mechanical calculating devices in Classical Antiquity and in Imperial China prefigured the difference engines of later ages [2]. By the mid-20th century science fiction writers were imagining a few, perhaps even only one, mega computer driving human civilization into the future [3]. Obviously they were wrong. In the first decades of the 21st century computation has proliferated and dispersed; becoming ubiquitous, seamless, almost beneath notice. Rather than exciting exotica, computation is the banal undergirding of modern post-industrial civilization. Devices that in the past would be properly labeled powerful computers are today termed ‘phones’ , ‘cars’ or ‘espresso machines’. We have transitioned from an abstraction of rarified reflection to a plethora of devices geared toward unthinking consumption. This is the trajectory one might project for what we now term direct to consumer (DTC) or beyond the clinic genomics [4], the ancestor of what is likely to become a ubiquitous form of information technology in the coming decades. If Gregor Mendel was the Leibniz of genomics, we are in the Apple I era, as hobbyists jockey with firms that harbor dreams of massive market share. There is no telling who will be the Microsoft or Apple of this industry, but that is partly because we do not have the equivalent of the VisiCalc yet. The Apple II has not arrived, let alone the Macintosh. While the sequencing hardware behind the technological revolution is transitioning from the analog of corporate mainframes to desktop-ready devices, the productivity suites of consumer genomics have yet to be fully conceived, let alone implemented. So what applications will drive the industry in the next few years? Front and center in terms of candidates for the next ‘killer app’ is the relatively mature market for Genetic Genealogy. More broadly, Genealogy is a maturing sector with billions in revenue and nearly 100 million serious enthusiasts [5]. Rather than creating a demand de novo, Genetic Genealogy serves to extend the reach and power of those with deep questions as to their ancestry. The appeal of this sector is unsurprising. Cultures as distinctive and varied as the Jews and Chinese are preoccupied with issues of descent. One could argue that a genealogical mindset is a human universal playing to our inner desire to understand ourselves, our origins and our purpose. The tools of modern genomics add depth and insight to answers that most humans crave in their bones. Inclusive of the older genomic techniques, such as microsatellite markers, consumers of Genetic Genealogy likely number into the millions, with the richer offerings of firms such as Family Tree DNA and 23andMe approaching the order of one million customers next year [6]. We are all products of a past that is sketched out in the broadest sense by phyloGenetics. Our pedigrees expand rapidly and then coalesce back together again, as the same individuals show up over and over. This is what evolutionary genomics is telling us [7], but our basic human intuitions often fail to grasp the multigenerational story, which goes beyond great-grandparents, and into the deepest mists of our species’ past. DTC genomics in the domain of Genetic Genealogy can bridge the chasm between the abstruse inferences of population and phyloGenetics, and the lived and familiar reality of human familial warmth. But it can only do so by reducing abstract scientific theory into a more human shape, relatable, palatable and compelling. It is trite to assert that ‘we are all one big family’, but what genomics can do is make this truth concrete, and add some scientific heft behind sentiment. The industry needs to refine and perfect the middle layer between the science and the consumer, to the point where the technical guts of the operating system become as encapsulated, mysterious and ubiquitous as the magic of an iPhone. As analysis of ancestry and Genealogy saturate over the next decade, it seems likely that a natural segue will be made to medical genomics, as massive sample sizes can finally be leveraged into fine-grained prediction. Genetic Genealogy is an applied enterprise of phyloGenetics, but adding phenotypic information to the rich implicit pedigrees may finally allow for both true and surprising outcomes in regards to health risk prediction and the general interpretation of genome variants. Eventually the personal information ecology in which we are embedded will be rich, tagged and amenable to being synthesized and reduced down to actionable units. Genetic Genealogy complements written records, but its power is such that it can yield information as a standalone tool. Not so when it comes to medical and assorted trait predictions. Most Genetic traits of interest are complex, with multiple, sometimes obscure, lines of causality. Modern studies that use hundreds of individuals are notoriously underpowered, and are rapidly being superseded by pooled data sets of hundreds of thousands. Yet this is nothing compared to what will no doubt be the norm in the next decade, as diverse strands of information continuously thread together, and generate a perpetual stream of novel insightful predictions. Imagine that biomarkers are constantly recording your feedback to a particular diet or activity, and this information is intersected with millions with varying levels of Genetic relatedness and lifestyle. The computational requirements are immense, but the past few decades have shown us that we can always be surprised how far Moore’s Law can take us. Of course such a scenario above begs the question whether people would be comfortable in a semipermeable soup of information floating in the future cloud. But fortunately, or unfortunately, some of the most powerful and innovative firms today are making Scott McNealy’s prediction of a post-privacy future come alive. In the simplest of terms, expectation of privacy evolves with technology. In particular, both Google and Facebook are pushing the public toward the direction of transparency in terms of personal data. For obvious reasons there is sensitivity in regards to medical information in the United States, but with universal coverage some of the concerns are likely to be obviated, while the body politic will also have an incentive to allow for greater information exchange to be leveraged into informing citizens as to the optimal path for a healthier lifestyle [8]. Like the thin edge of the wedge, DTC genomics over the next decade will be defined by first movers who are passionate. Some will be enthusiasts for Genealogy, others for experimental bio-hacking, and many for self-improvement through total self-knowledge. These hobbyists will drive a market segment that caters to their needs by transforming the digital information in their genomes into actionable representations and projections. But once the DTC genomics industry matures it will likely be swallowed in toto by the emerging total information ecology. This is not just likely, but inevitable, because though your genes do not determine who you are, you cannot understand who you are without your genes. It may be tired to declare that the ‘information must be free’, but in a deep and fundamental sense emergence of ‘big data’ and personalization are validating that prediction. And yet just because information flows freely does not imply that it cannot be monetized; both Google and Facebook illustrate that. In the next decade one will see firms that make these companies seem like niche players, as they develop and deploy information utilities that are going to be similar to helper artificial intelligence. This is a future where basic day-to-day decisions will be offloaded to these automated systems, which will receive as inputs both environmental and hereditary variables. Where does that leave humans? Our lot will be to enjoy the good life, reflecting upon the deeper and more important things that are not so reducible by data analysis engines. In contrast to the idea of a post-human future, the information ecology of the next few decades, driven in part by personal genomics, will be even more human as the banal and impersonal decisions that define modern life are taken over by automatons.