July 7,2020

Genesis Healthcare Co., Japan's leading genetic testing and research company, today announced the launch of its Asian ancestry focused test kit, GeneLife Generations. The test kit will be officially available to customers from 20 July 2020.

Singapore and Taiwan, China will be the first countries in Asia to launch, followed by other markets in the coming year. GeneLife Generations has been specifically developed for the diversity and richness of the Asian ethnicities and ancestral heritage. 

The GeneLife Generations Journey

Through an interactive mobile application, GeneLife Generations will bring users on a personal journey through time to discover what their DNA reveals about their ethnic mix and their lineage, providing unique experiences about possible migration routes from generations ago. This genetic composition analysis service comprehensively predicts the shared genetic composition of ancestors. Along with the genetic ancestral composition analysis, the report will identify origins and migration routes of both maternal and paternal lineages traced back to approximately 150,000 to 270,000 years ago.

Revealing Rich and Diverse Asian Ethnicities

This test kit has been specifically developed for Asian populations, unveiling the various unique ethnic origins through detailed, engaging, and rich contents. These ethnic groups include, but not limited to the following: Chinese Dai, Northern/Southern Han, Singaporean Malay, Vietnamese Kinh, Filipino, Thai, Japanese, Korean, Indonesian, Punjabi, Taiwan, Chinaese, etc^[1].  

GeneLife Generations also covers other regions and ethnic groups from different parts of the world including Europe, Africa, and the Americas. Please note that these ethnic groups will be updated and expanded regularly as our science and research develops.

"We are truly proud to be launching GeneLife Generations amongst our suite of consumer DNA test kits," highlighted Michel Mommejat, General Manager, Genesis Healthcare Asia. "We have seen an increasing demand for Ancestry tests that truly represent the Asian population from markets that we operate in, especially Singapore. With over 16 years of R&D applied to genetics and more than 870,000 users who have taken their DNA journey with us, we are in the best position to introduce an ancestry service focused on Asia," he added.

Maternal and Paternal Ancestral Migrations

Our ancestors have travelled across the globe, looking for a place to call home in Asia. GeneLife Generations reveals migrations from maternal and paternal ancestors with an interactive display of their journeys on maps on a smartphone, supported with a dynamic chronological timeline and a range of fun and entertaining information.

The Science Behind GeneLife Generations

Genesis Healthcare is using its specially designed chip for populations in Asia and around the globe, with support from a Micro-array technology platform. For the test, DNA is simply extracted from saliva samples and subjected to genotype calling according to stringent protocols. As more users undertake the genetic test, the panel reference, algorithms, and analysis will be continuously enhanced to provide more refined information as well as reflect latest developments, technology updates and new scientific discoveries.

Genesis Healthcare has been actively involved in genetic research and development across multiple domains and has been collaborating in joint research with the National Institute of Genetics in Japan over the years.

Availability & Price

GeneLife Generations will be launching in Singapore on 20 July 2020 at a retail price of SGD199. To celebrate this milestone, GeneLife will be running a pre-release exclusive for the first 500 customers at a discounted price of SGD129.