Most, if not all, people should have asked this question when they first start choosing between myriad DNA tests: which DNA testing is most accurate? While we cannot tell you which test is the best or the most accurate, we can show you how our team has endeavored to maintain a high accuracy with a cutting-edge technology, and still striving to do better.
Health conditions, behavioral issues and medical problems are often caused by our genetics. Whole Exome Sequencing is a type of genetic sequencing often used by scientists to understand what may be causing a disease, or a person’s mysterious symptoms, from a genetic perspective.
DNA sequencing, the process of determining the specific order of nucleotides (DNA building blocks) in a person’s genetic code, is a technology rapidly accelerating the study of genetics.
Currently, many of the world’s largest medical groups, including the UK’s NHS, genome centers from reputed institutions such as Harvard and Stanford Universities, leverage DNA sequencing as a tool for diagnosing and understanding genetic health disorders.
Two methods of genetic sequencing, Whole Genome and Whole Exome Sequencing, are emerging as essential systems for identifying medical issues influenced by a person’s DNA.
Both of these methods rely on the use of state-of-the-art technologies which allow for the rapid sequencing of large amounts of DNA information.
CircleDNA tests utilize the most advanced Whole Exome Sequencing (WES) technology on the market to provide a 99.99% analytical accuracy. Are we the answer to “which DNA testing is most accurate?”? Not exactly, but our testing methods have achieved international accreditation, confirming our compliance with the highest laboratory quality testing standards.
Here’s what you need to know about our proven approach to DNA sequencing.
What is Whole Exome Sequencing (WES)?
Imagine each gene in your body is an individual book, making up the comprehensive library of your DNA. You need to read the whole book to understand the story behind the gene and how it relates to your health and your full potential as a human being.
Whole Exome Sequencing, or WES, is a next-generation sequencing method (NGS) approved by leading medical facilities, to provide a deeper insight into the whole story of the DNA sequence. The insights available from WES are far more comprehensive than the overview scientists used to get using traditional genotyping technology.
Using the book analogy, whole-genome sequencing would allow scientists to look at every word on every page of the book in-depth, which would provide a lot of information, but not all of this data would be relevant or useful to us as human beings. Whole Exome Sequencing takes a more focused approach, by sequencing the protein-coding regions of the genome.
The human exome only accounts for less than 2% of the larger genome, but it contains over 85-90% (Botstein D et al Nat Genet. 2003) of the known disease-related variants linked to our genetics. This means with Whole Exome Sequencing; it’s possible to concentrate on the most influential insights available from your DNA.
What are the Benefits of Whole Exome Sequencing?
According to Simon Stevens, the Chief Executive of NHS England, Whole Exome Sequencing is a quick and accurate testing method that allows for more rapid diagnosis of genetic health conditions, and better insights into a person’s genetic makeup. According to Stevens, this advanced DNA sequencing technology can “more rapidly diagnose rare diseases, helping to put an end to uncertainty and allowing children to receive the best possible treatment.”
Because the exome represents only the most important part of the genome DNA, it can be more rapidly sequenced and interpreted, leading to faster results, and quicker treatments. Exome sequencing also has applications in a range of research applications, allowing for the evaluation of genetic disease at scale, and population genetics.
When examining the entire genome isn’t necessary (or cost-effective), Whole Exome Sequencing offers a cost-effective and efficient approach. Sequencing specific coding regions within the genome means researchers can focus crucial resources on the genes most likely to influence phenotype.
Exome sequencing examines variants in human genetic code, with the ability to expand and dive deeper into targeted information, to include untranslated regions for better views of gene function. The CircleDNA Whole Exome Sequencing provides a full scan of your entire protein-coding regions, and custom selection of non-exonic regions that are related to many lifestyle and health-oriented conditions, with comprehensive and accurate results from more than 31 million data points.
The most significant benefits of Whole Exome Sequencing include:
- Whole exome sequencing technology identifies genetic variants across a range of applications.
- Provides comprehensive coverage of all protein coding regions in the genome.
- Offers a cost-effective alternative to impractical whole-genome sequencing.
- Delivers faster results and insights than traditional DNA sequencing methods.
- Introduces a smaller, more manageable data set for scientists to work with.
Traditional Genotyping vs Whole Exome Sequencing
A traditional genotyping method, using SNP genotyping microarray technology, is commonly used by most direct-to-consumer genetic testing companies. This traditional genotyping method looked at hundreds of thousands of genetic data points at a time to collect potentially useful information.
Unlike the traditional genotyping, the Whole Exome Sequencing (which uses next-generation sequencing technology) can sequence several tens of millions of genetic data points. Thus, with next-generation sequencing, it’s feasible to sequence large amounts of information from a person’s DNA, including all the pieces of a person’s individual genetic makeup which provide instructions for making proteins.
To look at the difference in context, traditional genotyping would use dozens of MB worth of sampling data volume to collect insights, while Whole Exome Sequencing typically offers 50-100 times the sequencing data to enable higher sensitivity. Tests can detect rare metabolic, neurological, and other conditions by identifying genetic variations. WES can even help to indicate how patients might respond to certain kinds of drugs, by highlighting genetic changes.
Because most known mutations responsible for causing diseases occur within the protein coding exomes, Whole Exome Sequencing is one of the most effective methods of identifying possible disease-causing mutations. Cancer studies are even taking advantage of this technology.
Which DNA Testing is Most Accurate? Is it CircleDNA?
Committed to giving you the most in-depth, advanced and meaningful insights into your DNA possible, CircleDNA’s Whole Exome Sequencing uses the most current and most advanced technology available for DNA sequencing. All DNA samples delivered to us are processed in our own internationally accredited and approved lab.
To process your DNA with absolute 99.99% analytical accuracy, we use the NovaSeqTM 6000 systems – some of the most commended and highly rated tools for DNA sequencing in the USA. These tools, created by market-leading DNA sequencing equipment manufacturer Illumina, allow us to conduct a deep-dive evaluation of your Exomes to provide comprehensive results straight to your CircleDNA app.
Currently, Illumina’s sequencing technology is the most widely-adopted next generation sequencing innovation in the world, producing approximately 90% of all global sequencing data.
Using this state-of-the-art DNA sequencing technology, CircleDNA can unlock the secrets of your DNA, and provide you with ground-breaking discoveries within a matter of days, rather than months. We can also provide comprehensive overviews of some of the aspects of your DNA you’re most interested in, such as how your genes influence your health, well-being, intelligence and family planning.
SO, which DNA testing is most accurate? Our answer is still the same: we cannot tell. But we do take pride in our accuracy and the hard work behind it. If you answer to “which DNA testing is most accurate” is not CircleDNA, that’s absolutely fine, just make sure the test you choose is backed by legit science and has a certified, professional team, so your time and money will be well-invested.
Discover the World’s Leading DNA Sequencing with CircleDNA
Using the latest and most advanced technology along with the most valuable and proven methodologies for DNA sequencing, CircleDNA can provide you with deeper, more specific and more relevant insights than any old-fashioned DNA test. With WES technology, we have access to comprehensive views of your full exome spectrum, which can translate into actionable overviews and advice for you to improve your health, habits, and the quality of your life.Learn more about the power of this type of advanced DNA sequencing technology by ordering a CircleDNA test and receiving over 500 reports about yourself, all based on your DNA sample analyzed in our state-of-the-art, internationally accredited laboratory.
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