If you've ever walked a dog, you've probably fielded a question about what breed it is. Now, a new start-up wants to give you the answer to that question with startling specificity. Embark wants to be the 23AndMe of dogs, genetically discovering your pet's pedigree.
Based out of Austin, TX and born in 2015, Embark says its product is "a promise to share the journey of a lifetime with you and your dog." Founded by Adam and Ryan Boyko, the company comes with a history of health. Adam is longtime pet geneticist, having advanced the theory that dogs originate from Central Asia, most likely Nepal or Mongolia. Ryan made headlines inadvertently when in 2014, then a a Ph.D candidate epidemiology of microbial diseases department at Yale, was quarantined during the height of an Ebola scare.
The two now sell DNA kits which will tells owners a dog's pedigree, where their dog comes from and, crucially, if they posses a genetic variant for one of more than 100 genetically inherited diseases. The company has partnered with Cornell (where Adam used to work) to test for over 200,000 genetic markers. The test, which consists solely of a cheek swab inside a canine mouth, costs $200.
While DNA tests could help owners predict possible health problems, the hopes in curing those health problems lies in the realm of fake dogs.
Source: Embark via TechCrunch
David Grossman is a staff writer for PopularMechanics.com. He's previously written for The Verge, Rolling Stone, The New Republic and several other publications. He's based out of Brooklyn.
