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Genera Developed a Genealogical DNA Kit

Genera, a Brazilian company that developed a Genealogical DNA kit for a Latin American clientele, has arrived in Uruguay. The simple action of scraping the inner side of a person’s cheek gives genetic material that enables scientists to make a host of determinations that range from that individual’s caffeine sensitivity to his or her ancestral roots.

Ricardo di Lazzaro, the executive director and co-founder of Genera, said that the company’s DNA test can be a life-changing experience for those who want to know the family history. A physician and biochemist with a master’s degree in human genomics from Brazil’s University of Sao Paulo, he founded Genera in 2010 along with partner Andre Chinchio.

It is the only South American company to design and offer genealogical DNA tests that take into account the unique characteristics of Latin America’s population.The expert said the company’s focus is on developing its platform and all its algorithms with the Latin American population in mind.Genetic data thus is collated with that of indigenous peoples of the Americas like the Tupi and the native peoples of the Amazon, Andes and Patagonia.Genera is expanding its horizons with the virtually simultaneous launch of tests for the Argentine, Chilean and Uruguayan markets, Di Lazzaro said he is eager to see the results from Uruguay’s very interesting populace.

Based on the official census 2011, 90.7% of Uruguay’s population proclaim themselves to be of European ancestry and only 4.9% say they are of indigenous descent. Nevertheless, a 2017 study by the University of the Republic’s Biological Anthropology department found that 34% of Uruguay’s population has indigenous ancestry.Lazzaro said that some people are afraid to discover their genetic predisposition to diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and cancer, one of the results of the complete, $149 Ancestry, Health and Wellbeing test.

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