Hot Deal: Full DNA Analysis By Mail, Now Only $250

How It Works: Order, Spit, Mail

Forget that new outfit or tech toy — next time you have some cash to burn (whenever that may be), why not get an analysis of your genes done? A startup genomics company called Pathway Genomics announced today the most affordable (and exhaustive) public DNA service on the market.

For about $250, you can assess your risk (compared to that of the overall population) for diseases like Alzheimer’s and diabetes, and check whether a specific drug will harm your body. For an extra $100, you can also trace your lineage back an incredible 10,000 years (or so they say).

Direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic testing has been offered for some time now, though not at this low of a price. When 23andMe came out with their service in 2006, it cost $999 (later slashed to $399). Another service, deCODEme, currently carries a $985 price tag.

Its affordability aside, Pathway Genomics’ DNA test is also fabulously easy: it’s a simple matter of collecting your saliva in a test tube and mailing it to their San Diego lab. The on-site geneticists then take about eight weeks to complete your full analysis, though, according to the website, they’ll send you periodic updates in the interim.

Let’s hope these don’t sound like macabre fortune cookie notes: “You will develop Parkinson’s, lung cancer, glaucoma, and leukemia. Also, obesity.”

[Via Yahoo News]