The things people actually ask

No — clearly and emphatically. I'm a hobbyist, not a clinician. Gene Compass describes tendencies suggested by genetic markers and points to published research. Anything that touches medication, diagnosis or treatment belongs with a doctor. The pharmacogenomics report exists precisely so you can hand it to one.

A single-letter spelling difference in DNA, pronounced "snip." You have millions; consumer tests read several hundred thousand of the well-studied ones. Each is a tiny nudge — almost never a verdict — and the interesting work is reading many of them together, in context.

From you. If you've tested with 23andMe, AncestryDNA or similar, your account can export a "raw data" file. I never run DNA tests myself and never will — I only work with files people already own and choose to share with me.

This is the question I take most seriously. Files stay on my own machines, are never uploaded to third-party "gene interpretation" services, never shared, and are deleted on request. The samples on this site use an invented person — "Alex M." — because nobody's real genome belongs on the public internet, including the people I love. Especially them.

Two honest layers. The chip itself: very accurate per marker, but with hundreds of thousands of reads, a few errors are statistically guaranteed — which is why important findings should be confirmed before anyone acts on them. The interpretation: I only report associations from peer-reviewed literature, label evidence strength, and skip anything that smells like a horoscope. Tendencies, not destiny.

If you're a friend or family member — probably, and happily. It's a labor of love and each full set takes real time, so there may be a queue. Start at the contact page and tell me which company you tested with. (If we've never met: right now this is a personal hobby, but say hello anyway — that may change someday.)

Weeks, not hours — ten reports, each cross-referenced by hand, plus the dashboard and protocol. This is a feature: speed is exactly what the automated "upload your DNA, get instant results" services sell, and depth is what they skip.

Because a compass is the most honest metaphor genetics allows. It doesn't tell you where you'll end up; it tells you which way certain winds blow. Navigation — diet, sleep, movement, stress — remains gloriously up to you.

Maybe. For now it's a hobby with a domain name, and I like it that way — no customers means no shortcuts. If it ever grows up into something public, this site will be the first to say so.