Apple's ResearchKit may soon help researchers study your DNA

Apple's ResearchKit may soon help researchers study your DNA

<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p class="intro">Apple's next move for its ResearchKit platform will reportedly involve DNA analyzing apps developed in collaboration with researchers.</p> <p>According to a report from MIT Technology Review, Apple is currently working on ResearchKit apps that would allow users to submit DNA samples to researchers.  The report also mentions that there are two initial studies already in the planning stages. From *MIT Technology Review:</p>

<p>In two initial studies planned, Apple isn't going to directly collect or test DNA itself. That will be done by academic partners. The data would be maintained by scientists in a computing cloud, but certain findings could appear directly on consumers' iPhones as well. Eventually, it's even possible consumers might swipe to share "my genes" as easily as they do their location.</p>

<p>The report goes on to mention that Apple could debut the apps as early as WWDC 2015 in June.</p> <p>Apple debuted ResearchKit last year as a software platform that can assist researchers in collecting health-related information for large-scale studies. Since its debut, five apps have been built using the platform. Though that number may seem small, we've already started to see some of the benefits of ResearchKit, with Stanford reporting 11,000 signups for one study in a fraction of the time it would normally take to achieve that number. If today's report bears any fruit, it will be interesting to see what ResearchKit can bring to the area of DNA analysis.</p> <p>Source: MIT Technology Review; Via: 9to5Mac</p> </div></div></div><img width='1' height='1' src='