DNAPrint Genomics

In the early 2000s, under the leadership of founder and then CEO Tony N. Frudakis, Ph.D., DNAPrint forged a nascent consumer genetics/genomics and forensic phenotyping marketplace. In the mid to late 2000s many journalists and academics harshly criticized DNAPrint's application of genomics research for consumer and forensic purposes but by the early 2000-teens, the forensic science applications of BioGeographical Ancestry (BGA) admixture analysis for the inference of BGA and certain anthropometric phenotypes such as skin shade, eye/hair color, had become well established and by 2019 the market for these types of products had grown to over $500M/year in size. As of 2019, various capillary electrophoresis (e.g. Applied Biosystems) and next generation sequencing platform and consumable manufacturers have introduced human identity products combining classical (CODIS eligible) STR profiling marker sets with unique SNP based AIMS for the inference of BGA and phenotype (e.g. ForenSeq, from Illumina's Verogen). Various private and public laboratories had also emerged to provide forensic phenotyping services (e.g. Parabon Nanolabs).

In the mid-2000s, Frudakis wrote the seminal textbook introducing the forensic and consumer market application of genome-derived marker panels.

In the mid-to late 2000s, before it had fully developed these new markets, the hedge fund supporting DNAPrint liquidated the company and sold its intellectual property and know-how to DNA Diagnostics Company (DDC). Just prior to the company's liquidation, other companies launched similar products in the consumer genomic genealogy market (e.g. 23andMe and Ancestry.com). By 2018, these companies had extended the science significantly, building even larger genomic databases and enabling finer level and even entirely new inferences. For example, in forensics, over 70 serial homicide cases (including the Golden State Killer) having been solved through genetic genealogy hits enabled by the types of consumer genomics databases DNAPrint was the first to introduce. In these cases, potential relatives of individuals that donated DNA to crime scenes are identified. With consumer genealogy, family members can now be identified and reconnected through database matching, and customers can now pinpoint even intracontinental and regional family origins using the types of consumer genomics databases DNAPrint was the first to introduce.