GENEALOGY-DNA-L Archives

From:
Subject: [DNA] Dick Eastman's newsletter on SMGF (full text)
Date: Mon, 1 Mar 2004 08:41:35 EST

Just after I sent the message referring you to the website for the
newsletter, I found a way to send the article as plain text, so here it is:

The following article is from Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter and is
copyright 2004 by Richard W. Eastman. It is re-published here with the
permission of the author. Information about the newsletter is available at

http://www.eogn.com.


Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Research Project

The first significant database designed to help people find their
family trees through DNA will be announced Monday, March 1. The
non-profit Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation is introducing
the most comprehensive DNA genealogy database available today. It
will link scientific data and family trees. The project is called
the Molecular Genealogy Research Project, or MGRP.

This database has excellent "credentials" of its own. The idea
came from billionaire businessman, James Sorenson. According to
Sorenson, his goal is simply to bring people together. "It
connects you in a unique way to many, many people out there.
Many, many." Scott R. Woodward, Ph.D., is the Chief Scientific
Officer of the Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation. Dr.
Woodward is well known for his DNA work at Brigham Young
University. He and his team have attended many genealogy
conventions in the past few years, collecting DNA samples and
pedigree charts. You can read more about Dr. Woodward's work in
past newsletters at http://www.eogn.com/archives/news0016.htm,
http://www.eogn.com/archives/news0034.htm,
http://www.eogn.com/archives/news0111.htm, and
http://www.eogn.com/archives/news0202.htm.

The new database already has more than 40,000 names, but the
Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation wants many more. In fact,
the Foundation wants your DNA, too. To add to the database, you
order a packet online. In that packet you receive a consent form,
a genealogy chart, and a little bottle of mouthwash that you
swish in your mouth for 45 seconds. You simply collect everything
into the enclosed plastic bag, place the bag into a pre-addressed
stamped envelope, and drop it in the mailbox. The Sorenson
Foundation will then analyze your DNA free of charge and add the
information to the new database.

Free of charge? Yes, indeed. As Dr. Woodward said about the
Sorenson Foundation, "They are receiving nothing back personally.
This is altruistic. This is completely beneficial to, hopefully,
the whole family of man. I'm amazed that we have had so many
people willing to do that."

DNA will be taken from your sample cells and a genetic profile
created. This profile, together with your genealogical pedigree,
will be placed into the database. All information and samples
will be encoded in such a way as to remove your personal
identification. A link will remain available to the researchers,
but not to anyone else. No unauthorized person will ever be able
to see your name or your DNA information. The information from
this study will be used only for genealogical services and
determination of family migration patterns and geographic
origins.

Quoting from the Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Research Project
Web site:

Your unique personal identity is considered strictly
confidential and private. Your unique personal identity will
not be disclosed in any general or scientific publication of
the data. Samples and files containing this information will
be stored in a secure facility. The individuals who will
have access to the codes and genealogy information will be
the principal investigator and the research staff.

While you can participate free of charge, be aware that you do
not receive any information back. Why would anyone want to do
that? For three reasons:

1. The desire to help others with their genealogical
research.

2. Satisfaction of knowing that you are a part of a
worldwide project.

3. Preservation of your genetic information for posterity.

Details of the free DNA submission process can be found at
http://smgf.org:8081/pubgen/site3.jsp.

The second service is a fee-based search for your ancestry.
According to preliminary information, for about $ 200 you can
receive a report on your 'Y" chromosome signature. Using
information in the report, you can search for matching codes
among the 40,000 DNA samples already in the database. (Privacy is
assured. Nobody is ever given your name, address, or other
personal information without your consent.) At this point, the
available information only goes back to the 1400s, but that is a
start.

If your DNA does not match any of the 40,000 existing samples,
you will receive scientific information as to where your paternal
line originated and other migratory information that has been
determined. Future possible matches are always possible, of
course. The searches will cost.

Scott R. Woodward, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer, said, "If we
can tease that information out of our genes, about who our
parents are and who our grandparents are, we can convert that
into genealogical information, and that's the purpose of this
database."

For now, the MGRP is set up to trace only male ancestors.
Maternal side searches are expected to be added within a few
months.

The non-profit Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation is looking
for people who want to share their genealogy. The MGRP website
will be available Monday. You can obtain preliminary information
right now at http://www.smgf.org.

What Do You Think? Comments and discussion are available on
this newsletter's Discussion Board at:
http://www.eogn.com/discussionboard

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