"The $399 test that reads your entire genome."

Whole genome sequencing — what it actually means

Whole genome sequencing (WGS) does exactly what the name says: it sequences your entire genome, every base pair, reading each position an average of 30 times for accuracy. That “30 times” is called 30x coverage, and it’s the clinical standard — enough repetition to catch errors and confirm variants with high confidence.

At 30x coverage, WGS:

• Reads 100% of your genome (not 0.02%)
• Detects rare variants, structural variants, copy number variants
• Sequences the complete BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes — not 3 selected positions
• Provides a complete pharmacogenomic profile (how your body processes specific drugs via your CYP450 enzymes — relevant to antidepressants, blood thinners, statins, and increasingly to Alzheimer’s drugs)
• Captures the full APOE picture using both required SNPs
• For someone already known to be APOE4/4 like me: detects additional modifying variants like TREM2, identifies protective alleles that might partially offset risk, and enables more accurate polygenic risk scoring using millions of variants instead of 700,000

And here’s the part I find most compelling: you own the raw data for life.

Genetic science is moving fast. Discoveries made in 2028, 2030, 2032 can be run against your already-sequenced genome. An SNP array can only answer the questions it was designed to ask. A whole genome sequence can answer questions that haven’t been asked yet.

What it costs right now

This is the part that surprised me when I started researching it. Consumer 30x WGS has dropped dramatically.

Current pricing from reputable providers:

• Sequencing.com: $399 — lifetime access to raw data, third-party apps for report generation
• Dante Labs: ~$430 USD standard; runs flash sales as low as ~$170
• Nebula Genomics: $599 including lifetime subscription; reports updated weekly as science advances
• SelfDecode: $399 — analyzes up to 80 million variants with AI-powered health reports

Compare that to 23andMe’s Health + Ancestry kit at $99–$229 for a look at 0.02% of your genome.

The sequencing reagent cost for a 30x genome dropped below $100 in 2023. That savings hasn’t fully flowed to consumers yet, but the consumer price has dropped enough that cost is no longer the real barrier. A complete picture of your genome for under $400 is, frankly, remarkable. We are the first generation for whom this is even possible.

One note: don’t buy 0.4x low-pass sequencing if it’s offered at a lower price point. That’s adequate for ancestry, not for health decisions. Insist on 30x.

The privacy question — and the 23andMe bankruptcy

I’d be doing you a disservice if I didn’t mention this.

In March 2025, 23andMe filed for bankruptcy following a 2023 data breach that compromised the personal information of 6.9 million users. The company holds the DNA of 15 million customers. The bankruptcy raised uncomfortable questions about what happens to genetic data when the company holding it goes through a sale.

Your DNA is not like a hacked password. It cannot be reset. It contains information about your entire biological family, not just you. It can identify you across any database, even with pseudonymization removed. And current law — specifically GINA, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act — protects you from discrimination by health insurers and employers, but not by life insurance companies, disability insurers, or long-term care insurers. That’s a meaningful gap.

If you have a 23andMe account, it’s worth submitting a data deletion request directly to the company, specifying both your individual data and any de-identified research data. Whether you continue testing with any service, read the data ownership language before you buy: Do you own your raw data? Can you delete it? Do they sell to third parties? Can they share it in a corporate sale?

Nebula Genomics was founded explicitly with genomic privacy as a selling point. Dante Labs is HIPAA and GDPR compliant. Read the terms before you sequence — your genome is a document you’re creating for life.

What to do when the results come in

This is the part people worry about most, and I think the worry is legitimate.

Learning you’re APOE4 homozygous is not like learning you have a slightly elevated risk for something vague. It’s closer — emotionally, practically — to learning you carry a gene for Huntington’s disease. The psychological preparation required is real. I had to sit with that information for a while before I could act on it constructively rather than just anxiously.

A few things that helped me, and that I’d recommend to anyone:

• You don’t have to interpret results alone. Genetic counselors exist precisely for this (find one at nsgc.org). AI can also help you understand what you’re reading — I’ve used Claude extensively to help me parse studies, understand what variants actually mean, and think through what actions the evidence supports.
• Specialist clinics exist for APOE4 carriers. The Alzheimer’s Prevention Clinic at Weill Cornell Medical College was the first in the US specifically focused on prevention for people at elevated genetic risk. Banner Alzheimer’s Institute has a similar program and runs clinical trials specifically for APOE4/4 homozygotes.
• Knowing is better than not knowing — but it’s worth having support in place before results arrive, especially if you’re testing for Alzheimer’s risk variants.

The knowledge doesn’t change your genome. It changes what you do.

What I’m doing next

In the next two months, I’m getting my full genome sequenced. I’ll write about what I find — what WGS adds on top of my 23andMe results, which provider I choose and why, and how I’m using AI to help me interpret what comes back.

If you’re considering it, I’d suggest starting with two things:

1. Check your 23andMe chip version if you have an existing account. If you’re on V3 or V4 and care about your APOE status, your result may be incomplete. Don’t assume the reported genotype is the full picture.

2. Start researching WGS providers — Sequencing.com, Dante Labs, Nebula Genomics, SelfDecode. Compare their data ownership terms, not just their price. Look for 30x coverage. Decide whether you want the raw data only, or reports included.

The information that matters most about your health has been sitting in your DNA since before you were born. For under $400, you can finally read it.

We are not too old for this. In fact, at 57, I’d argue we have more reason than anyone to want the full picture.

— Annette

Annette Thompson is 57, the founder of adoption.com, and a menopause advocate writing about evidence-based women’s health.

P.S. — If you or someone you know is APOE4 positive and want community, the APOE4.info community at apoe4.info is a remarkable resource — researchers, carriers, and caregivers all in one place. Worth bookmarking.