Apple recently launched its new ResearchKit platform, designed to help researchers in finding a testing pool for certain tests and studies.
Apple has now announced a program that will allow iPhone users to test their DNA, along with the apps that will facilitate this program.
Some might expect Apple to collect this DNA, but the company actually won't have access to it at all, but rather it will be researchers and users who will have exclusive access to it. Users will also have to opt in to the program if they wish to take part, so there should be no cases in which a user volunteers their DNA without knowing it.
While other ResearchKit apps use sensors built in to the iPhone, researchers will not be able to collect or test DNA directly using the iPhone. Instead, DNA will be collected through other means then deliver data to users through iPhone apps. In the future, however, some suggest that users will be able to share their DNA as easily as they can share their location today.
Of course, some may be concerned over the announcement as biometrics become increasingly important in today's data-centered ecosystem. Users are now able to use their fingerprints, facial features and even their heart rates in order to unlock and use their devices. Biometrics is not yet really being used for financial gain, but it would be easy to imagine that happening in the near future.
Although researchers are almost certain that most diseases have a genetic component to them, it is a little complicated to figure out which genetic mutations and differences affect a person's risk of getting certain diseases. Having access to a wider range of genetic data may allow researchers to much more easily figure out which genetic mutations cause which diseases, and this could eventually lead to better treatment for these diseases.
ResearchKit has the potential to be a huge game changer in the medical industry, largely because of the number of people who own and use the iPhone. One of the biggest problems that researchers face when trying to collect data is the pool of people willing to participate. What Apple has done is make it far easier for researchers and people to connect, expanding test pools immensely. In fact, over 11,000 people signed up for a study on heart health in only 24 hours. Even if only a tiny percentage of people take part in studies, it could have huge implications for medical research.
