New Dating Sites Match People Through DNA Tests

The Installer writes with this excerpt from an Associated Press report: "A couple of genetic testing companies are promising to match couples based on DNA testing, touting the benefits of biological compatibility. The companies claim that a better biological match will mean better sex, less cheating, longer-lasting love and perhaps even healthier children. 'How many dating services can you think of where they can suggest you might have better children?' said Eric Holzle, founder of ScientificMatch.com, one of the first online dating sites to use DNA. ... The idea is that people tend to be attracted to those who have immune system genes that are dissimilar from their own. Biologists say the HLA genes of the immune system — which are responsible for recognizing and marking foreign cells such as viruses so other parts of the immune system can attack them — also determine body odor 'fingerprints.' And people tend to be attracted to the natural body odors of those who have different HLA genes from their own."

Gattaca, here we come!

[Anonymous Coward]

That reminds me, I need to buy a keyboard vacuum..

READ THE ARTICLE

[gurps_npc]

For those of you that continue to think they are matching similar DNA, if you read the article you will find that they are doing the opposite.

That is, they are trying to create "Hybrid Vigor" - matching people whose DNA matches the LEAST. Among other things this should reduce recessive traits. No more blond haired/blue eyed children, but also no more hemophilia.

Re:Offspring

[Anonymous Coward]

Indeed - Wikipedia states that the US was one of the first countries to start sterilizing "undesirables", all the way back in 1907. Heck, Oregon had a Eugenics board until 1983...

Re:Wait wait...

[RJFerret]

From TFA...

The idea is that people tend to be attracted to those who have immune system genes that are dissimilar from their own.

Which has been correlated to body odor, I remember from past studies (or a past study), and was referenced in TFA.

But it's a well balanced article, they poke holes in it and share the 'just a money making ploy' contrary side of researchers who found happily married couples with similar immune systems instead of complementary.

In similar news, I'm starting a match making service based upon environmental chemical exposures.

Re:Building up a smell/looks/DNA database

[Anonymous Coward]

"-Let the males and females smell each other one by one (in rooms so dark that beauty could be eliminated) and have them rate each other." Oh, this is going to end badly...

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Re:The company name is kind of disturbing

[commodore64_love]

What the heck are you talking about? Genetic compatibility means finding someone *opposite* to yourself. i.e. If you have a weakness in regards to poor eyesight, then you'd want somebody with keen eyesight so your baby will hopefully have keen eyesight too.

You certainly wouldn't want to marry your family members, who'd have many of the same weaknesses you do.
That would produce a kid who's nigh-blind.

Re:Untrue

[tonycheese]

No, the idea behind this company is that people tend to be attracted to people who have different immune system and proteins from them, something that apparently we can tell by smell. The biological reason for this is that our children will be healthier, literally, and everything is just a side-effect from our bodies.

Re:Untrue

[tonycheese]

Here [discovery.com], Discovery Channel did an article focusing on Scientific Match and another company doing the same thing that talks more about the science behind it. But, like the Komo News article, it points out that it's not very likely to work with such a small sample size of both people and genes.

Re:The company name is kind of disturbing

[Crudely_Indecent]

The company name is actually Love Sciences, LLC [domaintools.com]

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