Blog
Why we built Expressive, how we anchor every recommendation in research, and what we're learning as we ship.
Why we built Expressive
Most consumer genetic products tell you what to do. We don't. Here's what we built instead, and why every claim is anchored in real research.
Read post →How we anchor every recommendation in real research
The discipline that keeps consumer genetic-health platforms honest. PMIDs, PharmGKB levels, GWAS catalogue rows, and the rule against filler.
Read post →74,000 variants and counting, the scale problem nobody talks about
A typical genome carries tens of thousands of variants with known research. Most consumer products show you ten. Here's what we're doing about the other 73,990.
Read post →APOE ε4 and Alzheimer's risk, what your 23andMe result actually means
APOE ε4 is the most heavily studied genetic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer's disease. Here's what the research actually says about it, what a carrier result means, and what carriers can do about it.
Read post →MTHFR gene variants, what the research actually says (versus what wellness influencers say)
MTHFR has become one of the most overclaimed genes in consumer genetics. Here's what the actual published evidence supports, and what claims you should be skeptical of.
Read post →How to read a GWAS study, effect sizes, p-values, and what they actually mean for you
Genome-wide association studies are how most of what we know about common genetic variants gets discovered. Here's how to read one critically, and how to tell a strong finding from a weak one.
Read post →Promethease is gone. Here are the real alternatives for interpreting your DNA raw data
For years Promethease was the go-to tool for interpreting 23andMe raw data. It wound down. Here's an honest comparison of the alternatives and what to actually pick.
Read post →Your 23andMe raw data file, what it actually contains and what to do with it
23andMe gives you ~600,000 genetic data points in a downloadable text file most users never open. Here's the 23andMe raw data file explained: what's in it, why it's valuable, and what to do with 23andMe raw data once you have it.
Read post →FTO gene variants and weight, what the GWAS research actually says
rs9939609 is the most-studied SNP in the FTO "obesity gene." It's a real association. It also explains far less than supplement marketing claims. Here's the honest version.
Read post →What is a SNP? A plain-language guide to single nucleotide polymorphisms
Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are the smallest possible difference in your DNA. Here's what they are, why they matter for health research, and how to read what a study actually says about yours.
Read post →Why your DNA is the most sensitive data you own
Most data about you can be changed, revoked, or rotated. Your genome can't. Here's why genetic data sits in a category by itself for privacy risk, and what that means for where you store it.
Read post →What happened to 23andMe's user data after bankruptcy, and what you should do about it
23andMe's bankruptcy left 15 million customers' genetic data in limbo. Here's what we know happened to the data, what your real options are, and how to take back control of the file you paid for.
Read post →COMT gene, dopamine, stress response, and what your variant actually means
COMT variants influence how fast your brain clears dopamine. The "warrior vs worrier" framing is partly real but heavily oversimplified. Here's the actual research and what it does and doesn't say.
Read post →How Expressive handles your DNA, a technical explanation
Wallet-derived encryption keys, HMAC lookups, AES-256-GCM at rest. The technical specifics of how Expressive's privacy-first DNA analysis works, written for the user who wants to verify the claims.
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