Nebula Genomics

Nebula Genomics was co-founded in 2018 by George Church, geneticist at Harvard Medical School.{{Cite web|url=https://www.technologyreview.com/s/610221/this-new-company-wants-to-sequence-your-genome-and-let-you-share-it-on-a-blockchain/|title=This new company wants to sequence your genome and let you share it on a blockchain|last=Mullin|first=Emily|website=MIT Technology Review|language=en-US|access-date=2020-03-15}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.statnews.com/2018/02/07/george-church-cryptocurrency-genome-sequencing/|title=In startup, George Church bets cryptocurrency will boost DNA sequencing|date=2018-02-07|website=STAT|language=en-US|access-date=2020-03-15}} In August 2018, Nebula Genomics announced a seed funding round of $4.3 million led by Khosla Ventures.{{Cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2018/08/29/george-churchs-genetics-on-the-blockchain-startup-just-raised-4-3-million-from-khosla/|title=George Church's genetics on the blockchain startup just raised $4.3 million from Khosla|website=TechCrunch|date=29 August 2018 |language=en-US|access-date=2020-03-14}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.genomeweb.com/sequencing/nebula-genomics-raises-43m-partners-veritas|title=Nebula Genomics Raises $4.3M, Partners With Veritas|website=GenomeWeb|date=29 August 2018 |language=en-us|access-date=2020-03-15}} In February 2020, Nebula Genomics began offering high-coverage whole-genome sequencing for $299 internationally.{{Cite web|url=https://onezero.medium.com/the-price-of-dna-sequencing-dropped-from-2-7-billion-to-300-in-less-than-20-years-f5e07c2f18b4|title=The Price of DNA Sequencing Dropped From $2.7 Billion to $300 in Less Than 20 Years|last=Mullin|first=Emily|date=2020-02-20|website=Medium|language=en|access-date=2020-03-14}} The service also requires a subscription to Nebula Explore.{{Cite web|url=https://portal.nebula.org/cart/nebula-30x|title=The Price of DNA Sequencing|access-date=2020-10-14}}

On 11 August 2021, ProPhase Labs, a diversified medical science and technology company, announced the acquisition of Nebula Genomics by its recently formed subsidiary, ProPhase Precision Medicine, Inc., for about $14.6 million in a combination of ProPhase Labs common stock and cash.{{Cite web|url=https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/21/08/g22441939/prophase-labs-acquires-whole-genome-sequencing-company-nebula-genomics|title=ProPhase Labs Acquires Whole Genome Sequencing Company, Nebula Genomics|date=2021-08-11|access-date=2022-02-18|website=Benzinga|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220218211438/https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/21/08/g22441939/prophase-labs-acquires-whole-genome-sequencing-company-nebula-genomics|archive-date=2022-02-18|url-status=live}}

{{See also|BGI Group#Controversies}}

BGI Group is a Chinese life sciences company that has been part of many controversies, especially regarding genetic data. One of these concerns one of the most popular prenatal test in the world, Reuters found out that it has been developed with the involvement of Chinese's army, People's Liberation Army (PLA), and has been used to collect genetic data from millions of women.{{Cite web|last1=Needham|first1=Kirsty|last2=Baldwin|first2=Clare|author2-link=Clare Baldwin |date=7 July 2021|title=China's gene giant harvests data from millions of women|url=https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/health-china-bgi-dna/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210710085229/https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/health-china-bgi-dna/|archive-date=10 July 2021|access-date=2022-02-14|website=Reuters}}{{cite journal |last1=Samlali |first1=Kenza |last2=Thornbury |first2=Mackenzie |last3=Venter |first3=Andrei |title=Community-led risk analysis of direct-to-consumer whole-genome sequencing |journal=Biochemistry and Cell Biology |date=1 December 2022 |volume=100 |issue=6 |pages=499–509 |doi=10.1139/bcb-2021-0506 |pmid=35939839 |url=https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/full/10.1139/bcb-2021-0506 |access-date=5 July 2024}} George Church, the co-founder of Nebula Genomics, has served on the BGI Group's scientific advisory board since 2007.{{Cite news |last=Whalen |first=Jeanne |last2=Dwoskin |first2=Elizabeth |date=2020-07-02 |title=California rejected Chinese company’s push to help with coronavirus testing. Was that the right move? |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/07/02/china-bgi-california-testing/ |access-date=2024-05-24 |work=Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}} In 2017, BGI established the George Church Institute of Regenesis, a research collaboration between Church’s lab and about a dozen staffers at BGI in China. On 18 February 2020, Nebula Genomics also announced that it had partnered up with BGI: saliva samples sent for decoding to Nebula Genomics are sent by the company to BGI labs in Hong Kong for sequencing.{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/07/02/china-bgi-california-testing/|title=California rejected Chinese company's push to help with coronavirus testing. Was that the right move?|date=2020-07-02|access-date=2022-02-14|newspaper=Washington Post|last1=Whalen|first1=Jeanne|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220214004938/https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/07/02/china-bgi-california-testing/|archive-date=2022-02-14|url-status=live|last2=Dwoskin|first2=Elizabeth|author-link2=}} In 2022 Nebula Genomics stated in its FAQs that the samples are sequenced in Europe.{{Cite web |url=https://nebula.org/faqs/ |title=FAQs |access-date=2022-05-23 |website=Nebula Genomics |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220523175732/https://nebula.org/faqs/ |archive-date=2022-05-23 |url-status=live |quote=Where will my sample be sequenced? We sequence our samples in a laboratory in the European Union (EU).}} However, in 2023 no specific statement of sequencing location exists in the FAQs. Nebula Genomics said that this partnership is made to bring down the cost of whole-genome sequencing since normally it has a cost that makes it inaccessible to most people.{{Cite web|url=https://www.biospace.com/article/releases/nebula-genomics-partnering-with-bgi-sets-industry-standard-by-offering-30x-whole-genome-sequencing-for-299/|title=Nebula Genomics, Partnering with BGI, Sets Industry Standard by Offering 30x Whole-Genome Sequencing for $299|date=2020-02-18|access-date=2022-02-14|website=BioSpace|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220118183040/https://www.biospace.com/article/releases/nebula-genomics-partnering-with-bgi-sets-industry-standard-by-offering-30x-whole-genome-sequencing-for-299/|archive-date=2022-01-18|url-status=live}}

Both Nebula and BGI use MGI DNBSeq, which is a DNA sequencing technology method. This method is cheaper than Illumina. However, this cost difference alone does not fully explain the much lower prices offered by these companies compared to their competitors using Illumina methods. File availability is also similar across companies. Therefore, it has been hypothesized that the lower costs offered by Nebula Genomics and BGI Group may also reflect differences in laboratory practices or the extent of downstream applications and use of consumer data, which could include the sale of genetic data to third parties.

The sharing of personal data with third parties was stated in the privacy policy of Nebula Genomics, which said: "We may use personal data in our possession to create de-identified and aggregated data sets. [...] We may then use this aggregate data for any purposes or disclose it to third parties for their purposes in accordance with applicable laws.".{{Cite web |url=https://nebulagenomics.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360036114572-Privacy-Policy |title=Privacy Policy |date=2019-11-21 |access-date=2024-07-05 |website=Nebula Genomics |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211016034934/https://nebulagenomics.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360036114572-Privacy-Policy |archive-date=2021-10-16 |url-status=dead |format= |archive-format=}} However, fully anonymized genetic data can still be identifiable.

Nebula Genomics says that it is developing its own blockchain to enforce security and privacy but, despite that, re-identification of people starting from the genetic data could still be possible (DNA itself is a unique identifier), law enforcement could still issue search warrants or subpoena the data, and difficulties related to encrypting whole genomes mean that this technology could still be vulnerable to data breaches.{{Cite web|url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/genetics-start-up-wants-to-sequence-peoples-genomes-for-free/|title=Genetics Start-Up Wants to Sequence People's Genomes for Free|date=2018-11-17|access-date=2022-02-14|website=Scientific American|last=Weintraub|first=Karen|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210303052546/https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/genetics-start-up-wants-to-sequence-peoples-genomes-for-free/|archive-date=2021-03-03|url-status=live}}{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.wired.com/story/you-can-soon-get-your-dna-sequenced-anonymously/|title=You Can Soon Get Your DNA Sequenced Anonymously|date=2019-09-19|access-date=2022-02-14|magazine=Wired|last=Molteni|first=Megan|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220214180337/https://www.wired.com/story/you-can-soon-get-your-dna-sequenced-anonymously/|archive-date=2022-02-14|url-status=live}} This is also stated in Nebula Genomics' Privacy Policy: "However, under certain circumstances your genetic information may be subject to processing pursuant to laws, regulations or judicial or governmental orders, warrants or subpoenas.{{Cite web |date=2024-02-13 |title=Política de Privacidade |url=https://premier-bet-aviator.co.mz/politica-de-privacidade/ |access-date=2024-05-24 |website=premier-bet-aviator.co.mz |language=pt-MZ}} In other words, a lawful demand by public authorities may require we share your personal Information", they also state that: "We may share your personal data if we believe it is reasonably necessary to enforce the Nebula Terms and Conditions, protect the security and integrity of our Services, or protect the rights, safety, or property of Nebula, our employees or users". About data breaches risk it's written that: "While we cannot guarantee that loss, access or misuse of data will not occur, we use reasonable efforts to prevent these outcomes."{{Cite web|url=https://nebulagenomics.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360036114572-Privacy-Policy|title=Privacy Policy|date=2019-11-21|access-date=2022-02-14|website=Nebula Genomics|last=Quinn|first=Kevin|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201203190555/https://nebulagenomics.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360036114572-Privacy-Policy|archive-date=2020-12-03|url-status=live}}

Nebula Genomics develops technologies to enable controllable, transparent and secure genomic data sharing.{{Cite journal|last1=Grishin|first1=Dennis|last2=Obbad|first2=Kamal|last3=Church|first3=George M.|date=2019|title=Data privacy in the age of personal genomics|url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41587-019-0271-3|journal=Nature Biotechnology|language=en|volume=37|issue=10|pages=1115–1117|doi=10.1038/s41587-019-0271-3|pmid=31537915|s2cid=202687125|issn=1546-1696}} It is also developing approaches for privacy-preserving analysis of genomic datasets.{{Cite journal|last1=Grishin|first1=Dennis|last2=Raisaro|first2=Jean Louis|last3=Troncoso-Pastoriza|first3=Juan Ramón|last4=Obbad|first4=Kamal|last5=Quinn|first5=Kevin|last6=Misbach|first6=Mickaël|last7=Gollhardt|first7=Jared|last8=Sa|first8=Joao|last9=Fellay|first9=Jacques|last10=Church|first10=George M.|last11=Hubaux|first11=Jean-Pierre|date=2019-10-10|title=Citizen-Centered, Auditable, and Privacy-Preserving Population Genomics|url=https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/799999v1|journal=bioRxiv|language=en|pages=799999|doi=10.1101/799999|doi-access=free}}{{Cite web|url=https://fortune.com/2018/02/09/blockchain-genetic-testing-nebula/|title=This Company Wants to Sequence Your Genome, Put It On a Blockchain—And Pay You For It|website=Fortune|language=en|access-date=2020-03-15}}

In 2019, Nebula Genomics won the “Best-in-Show” award at the SXSW Pitch competition, part of the South by Southwest festival.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/news/2019/03/11/the-funded-two-bay-area-startups-winsxsw-pitch.html|title=The Funded: Two Bay Area startups win SXSW Pitch competition|website=www.bizjournals.com|access-date=2020-03-14}}

{{Reflist}}

• [https://dnatestingchoice.com/en-us/genetic-art/products/nebula-genomics/nebula-explore/7223 Nebula Explore]
• [https://blog.genomelink.io/posts/nebula-genomics-review-by-experts Review of Nebula Genomics]

Category:Genetic genealogy companies

Category:Biotechnology companies of the United States

Category:2018 establishments in California