Anne Wojcicki is a prominent biologist and investor. She’s also a respected entrepreneur. In 2006, Wojcicki co-founded 23andMe, where she currently serves as CEO. The company is widely regarded as a pioneer in the emerging field of personal genomic testing. Whereas DNA testing was once the domain of scientists and rich eccentrics, Wojcicki and her colleagues are bringing this technology to the masses. Customers order their test kits online, and then send a saliva sample to the company, which then analyses the DNA for a predisposition to dozens of traits and conditions ranging from baldness to Parkinson’s Disease.
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Customers can also choose to contribute their genetic footprint to 23andMe’s massive database, which the company hopes will lead to breakthroughs in disease detection and treatment. 23andMe’s Web-based research approach allows for “the rapid recruitment of participants to many genome-wide association studies at once, reducing the time and money needed to make new discoveries,” according to the company, which has raised $103 million in venture capital funding, according to Crunchbase.