Abstract: A user may select one or more potential common ancestors with a DNA match to view the target individual's relationship with them. The process may include identifying, from a first genealogical profile of the target individual. A first individual has a first linkage that connects the target individual towards the selected potential common ancestor. The process may also include identifying, from a second genealogical profile of the DNA match, a second individual who has a second linkage that connects the DNA match towards the selected potential common ancestor. The process may further include connecting the first linkage and the second linkage with the selected potential common ancestor by adding one or more individuals whose profiles are retrieved from other searchable genealogical profiles stored in the online system. With the nodes and connections available, the process may generate a map of visual connections between the target individual and the DNA match.

Abstract: The present description relates to a sample collection device comprising a receptacle and a closure member configured to seal the receptacle. Within the closure member is provided a reservoir configured to contain a stabilization fluid capable of preserving and stabilizing a collected sample. The reservoir includes an outlet which is sealed by a sealing member. The sealing member may be openable to allow communication, or mixture, between the contents of the reservoir and the contents of the receptacle. The closure member may also include a peel foil on the end of the closure member having the outlet to ensure sterility of and to avoid tampering with the outlet and the reservoir. The method includes collecting a sample from the user using the sample collection device, mixing the sample with the stabilization fluid, and analyzing the sample thus collected.

Abstract: Disclosed are techniques for predicting a trait of an individual and identifying a set of enriched record collections of a genetic community. To predict a trait of an individual, DNA features and non-DNA features of the individual are accessed to generate a feature vector that is inputted into a machine learning model. The machine learning model generates a prediction of the trait. The prediction may be based on an inheritance prediction and/or a community prediction. To identify a set of enriched record collections, individuals belonging to a genetic community are identified and a set of candidate record collections are accessed. A community count and a background count is determined for each candidate record collection. The set of enriched record collections are identified based on a comparison of the community count and the background count. The genetic community may be annotated using the set of enriched record collections.

Abstract: The present description relates to a sample collection device comprising a receptacle and a closure member configured to seal the receptacle. Within the closure member is provided a reservoir configured to contain a stabilization fluid capable of preserving and stabilizing a collected sample. The reservoir includes an outlet which is sealed by a sealing member. The sealing member may be openable to allow communication, or mixture, between the contents of the reservoir and the contents of the receptacle. The closure member may also include a peel foil on the end of the closure member having the outlet to ensure sterility of and to avoid tampering with the outlet and the reservoir. The method includes collecting a sample from the user using the sample collection device, mixing the sample with the stabilization fluid, and analyzing the sample thus collected.

Abstract: A sample collection system can include a sample collection vessel having a sample collection chamber with an opening configured to receive a sample into the sample collection chamber. The sample collection system can additionally include a selectively movable sleeve valve configured to associate with the opening of the sample collection chamber. The sample collection system can include a sealing cap that is configured to associate with the selectively movable sleeve valve and with the sample collection vessel. The sealing cap can include a reagent chamber having reagent(s) stored therein, and when the sealing cap is associated with the sample collection vessel, the selectively movable sleeve valve opens, dispensing the reagent(s) into the sample collection chamber. When the selectively moveable sleeve associates with the sample collection chamber, an outer sleeve slides relative to an inner vessel, opening the sleeve and dispensing reagent into the sample collection chamber.

Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a system and method is provided for determining a probability of a progeny having one or more phenotypes Phj each associated with a single gene Qj. A score sip may be assigned to each allele hip at a plurality of genetic loci (i) in a haploid genome profile Hp of a parent (p). A plurality (Nj) of the alleles hkp (k=1, . . . , Nj) associated with the gene Qj may be identified. The scores sip may be mapped or indexed to gene-specific scores ?j,kp associated with gene Qj for the plurality of (Nj) alleles hkp. A probability may be computed for altering the gene product from gene Qj in a progeny of the parent (p) to be a function of the gene-specific scores ?j,kp.

Abstract: Described are techniques for determining population structure from identity-by-descent (IBD) of individuals. The techniques may be used to predict that an individual belongs to zero, one or more of a number of communities identified within an IBD network. Additional data may be used to annotate the communities with birth location, surname, and ethnicity information. In turn, these data may be used to provide to an individual a prediction of membership to zero, one or more communities, accompanied by a summary of the information annotated to those communities.

Abstract: A biological sample collection system can include a sample collection vessel having a sample collection chamber with an opening configured to receive a biological sample into the sample collection chamber. The biological sample collection system can additionally include a selectively movable sleeve valve configured to associate with the opening of the sample collection chamber. The biological sample collection system can additionally include a sealing cap that is configured to associate with the selectively movable sleeve valve and with the sample collection vessel. The sealing cap can include a reagent chamber having reagent(s) stored therein, and when the sealing cap is associated with the sample collection vessel, the selectively movable sleeve valve opens, dispensing the reagent(s) into the sample collection chamber.

Abstract: A user may select one or more potential common ancestors with a DNA match to view the target individual's relationship with them. The process may include identifying, from a first genealogical profile of the target individual. A first individual has a first linkage that connects the target individual towards the selected potential common ancestor. The process may also include identifying, from a second genealogical profile of the DNA match, a second individual who has a second linkage that connects the DNA match towards the selected potential common ancestor. The process may further include connecting the first linkage and the second linkage with the selected potential common ancestor by adding one or more individuals whose profiles are retrieved from other searchable genealogical profiles stored in the online system. With the nodes and connections available, the process may generate a map of visual connections between the target individual and the DNA match.

Abstract: The disclosed system links an individual dataset to a database. The system receives a target individual dataset associated with a target individual and identifies candidate individual datasets that are potentially related to the target individual dataset. The system identifies a related individual dataset that has data bits that match some data bits in the target individual dataset. The system then identifies a parent node that is a common parent node to both the target individual dataset and the related individual dataset. The system retrieves a data tree that the parent node belongs to with the data tree containing information describing inter-relationships among datasets in the data tree. A node in the data tree is identified to assign the target individual dataset based on strings of matched data bits and number of the matched strings between the target individual dataset and the datasets in the data tree.

Abstract: A sample collection system can include a sample collection vessel having a sample collection chamber with an opening configured to receive a sample into the sample collection chamber. The sample collection system can additionally include a selectively movable sleeve valve configured to associate with the opening of the sample collection chamber. The sample collection system can include a sealing cap that is configured to associate with the selectively movable sleeve valve and with the sample collection vessel. The sealing cap can include a reagent chamber having reagent(s) stored therein, and when the sealing cap is associated with the sample collection vessel, the selectively movable sleeve valve opens, dispensing the reagent(s) into the sample collection chamber. When the selectively moveable sleeve associates with the sample collection chamber, an outer sleeve slides relative to an inner vessel, opening the sleeve and dispensing reagent into the sample collection chamber.

Abstract: Identification of inheritance-by-descent haplotype matches between individuals is described. A set of tables including word match, haplotypes and segment match tables are populated. DNA samples are received and stored. A word identification module extracts haplotype values from each sample. The word match table is indexed according to the unique combination of position and haplotype. Each column represents a different sample, and each cell indicates whether that sample includes that haplotype at that position. The haplotypes table includes the raw haplotype data for each sample. The segment match table is indexed by sample identifier, and columns represent other samples. Each cell is populated to indicate for each identified sample pair which position range(s) include matching haplotypes for both samples. The tables are persistently stored in databases of the matching system. As new sample data is received, each table is updated to include the newly received samples, and additional matching takes place.

Abstract: A biological sample collection system can include a sample collection vessel having a sample collection chamber with an opening configured to receive a biological sample into the sample collection chamber. The biological sample collection system can additionally include a selectively movable sleeve valve configured to associate with the opening of the sample collection chamber. The biological sample collection system can additionally include a sealing cap that is configured to associate with the selectively movable sleeve valve and with the sample collection vessel. The sealing cap can include a reagent chamber having reagent(s) stored therein, and when the sealing cap is associated with the sample collection vessel, the selectively movable sleeve valve opens, dispensing the reagent(s) into the sample collection chamber.

Abstract: Disclosed are techniques for characterizing variants of interest and predicting assignments of individuals to communities based on obtained genetic information. To characterize a variant, DNA datasets of reference individuals are accessed and used to generate a cluster with additional individuals. Reference individuals carry a variant at a genetic locus and the additional individuals share IBD with reference individuals. Statistics of genealogical data of the cluster are generated. A result summarizing the characterization of the variant is generated based on the statistics. To determine if an individual belongs to a community, a subset of the individual's haplotypes are inputted into a community-specific model. The model is trained using the training samples that each include haplotypes of reference individuals and a label identifying whether the reference individual belongs to the community. Based on the output of the model, it is determined whether the individual is a member of the community.

Abstract: Described are techniques for determining population structure from identity-by-descent (IBD) of individuals. The techniques may be used to predict that an individual belongs to zero, one or more of a number of communities identified within an IBD network. Additional data may be used to annotate the communities with birth location, surname, and ethnicity information. In turn, these data may be used to provide to an individual a prediction of membership to zero, one or more communities, accompanied by a summary of the information annotated to those communities. Ethnicity heterogeneity and age information may be tabulated and provided based on community membership information.

Abstract: A computing server generates a graph such as an identity-by-descent (IBD) network. The graph includes a plurality of nodes. Each node represents one of the individuals. Two or more nodes are connected through edges. Each edge connecting two nodes and associated with a weight that is derived from affinity between the genetic data of the two individuals represented by the two nodes. The computing system filters the graph based on features that are associated with the edges or the nodes. The filtered graph includes a subset of nodes. The computing system divides the filtered graph into a plurality of clusters to identify genetic communities that may not be discoverable without filtering. The computing server may also perform a multi-path hierarchical community detection process to assign an individual represented by a node to more than one communities.

Abstract: Provided herein are systems, devices, and methods for sample collection. A sample collection device may comprise a vessel, a lid, and pre-loaded liquid solutions. The sample collection device may collect a liquid sample, such as a biological sample. The liquid solutions may comprise reagents for preserving and/or stabilizing biological samples, such as saliva, collected in the vessel. A chamber comprising the liquid solutions may be located in the vessel and/or the lid. In some instances, the liquid solution may be released from the chamber upon closure of the vessel with the lid. In some instances, the liquid solution may be released from the chamber upon actuation of an implement, such as a plunger. In some instances, the liquid solution may be released upon compression of an absorbent member. The sample collecting device may be delivered to a remote location for further processing and/or analysis.

Abstract: A system identifies ancestral birth locations or surnames estimated to be associated with an individual's ancestors using an individual's genetic sample. The system identifies users who are genetic matches to the individual and determines whether and how often a birth location or surname appears in the pedigrees of those users. Birth locations or surnames that appear frequently throughout the pedigrees of genetically matching users may represent birth locations or surnames that are affiliated with the individual's ancestors. The system determines whether the frequency of appearance of a birth location or surname is statistically significant to eliminate biases for certain birth locations or surnames that appear more frequently than others. The birth location or surname may be provided to the individual based on an also-determined enrichment score.

Abstract: Methods and systems for assessing the probabilities of the expression of one or more traits in progeny are described.