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Trait-o-matic is an app in development at the Church Lab to find and classify phenotypic correlations for variations in whole genomes.
Before using Trait-o-matic, users should be aware of ways in which knowledge of their genome and phenotype could be used against them. For example, in principle, anyone with sufficient knowledge could take a user’s genome or open medical records and use them to:
- infer paternity or other genealogical features;
- claim statistical evidence that could affect employment or insurance;
- claim relatedness to infamous criminals;
- plant incriminating synthetic DNA at a crime scene;
- reveal susceptibility to diseases currently lacking a cure.
Furthermore, any genetic information obtained about an individual may also have relevance to family members. While some may feel that the risk to the themselves is small since they are healthy individuals, and the risk to relatives smaller still, this evaluation should involve detailed discussions nonetheless. It should also be noted that anything later inferred solely from DNA sequences will be speculative, and even less predictive with respect to family since inheritance of nearly all alleles is 50:50 random.