The Quiet Revolution in DNA Sequencing | Nucleus Genomics

IQ Controversy, Science, & The Business Behind Genomics

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We’re excited to share our interview & deep dive with Kian Sadeghi, Founder & CEO of Nucleus Genomics, on the launch of Nucleus IQ.

Nucleus is a health platform designed to integrate your DNA into your daily life. Nucleus uses whole-genome sequencing, which reads 1,000x more DNA than other tests. That means they can uncover how your DNA influences lots of things about you, from your risk for heart disease to your IQ. Nucleus has raised more than $18M in venture funding, with their last round led by Alexis Ohanian of SevenSevenSix, with participation from Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund. 

Thank you to Cory Levy, Founder of Z Fellows & Investor in Nucleus for the introduction. 

→ You can catch Nucleus at the Don’t Die Summit in San Francisco on Sept 8, 2024.  

Company Deep Dive, Product Demo, Facts, & Resources Below

BIG thank you to Kian, Halle, Prabarna & the Nucleus team for their support in research & writing of this. Really fascinating work & mission.

Nucleus Genomics: The Genes Behind Genius w/ CEO Kian Sadeghi

5 Key Takeaways

1. Make your DNA part of your everyday life: It’s possible to understand ourselves better than ever before with our DNA.

2. Revolutionizing preventative healthcare: Nucleus is using a DNA-first approach to transform healthcare from a reactive system to one that is proactive, enabling early detection and prevention of diseases based on genetic insights.

3. Providing affordable, comprehensive genetic testing: Their platform combines more than 70,000 individual genetic tests into one comprehensive whole-genome sequencing -based analysis, offering insights into both common and rare conditions.

4. The missing piece in your health stack: There are tons of ways to quantify your health — tracking biomarkers, hormones, and more — but most people overlook their genetics, which are the foundation of your health. 

5. Restore your right to complete self-discovery. You get access to insights that used to just be for doctors and scientists.

Smart or not: Controversy surrounding IQ prediction

Before we go deep into the business, Nucleus has become a hot topic of discussion after they recently went live on X, talking to Silicon Valley’s who’s who about their launch of Nucleus IQ, a special report on how genetics influences our IQ scores. 

Average IQs for any country can be hard to pinpoint, but estimates suggest that the number hovers around 99 and 100 around 99.6. Japan leads the world, with an average IQ score of 106.5. 

Cognitive development is strongly impacted by environmental factors such as education, socioeconomic status, nutrition, and exposure to chronic stress. What’s more, IQ scores have and continue to play a role in how we perceive our own intelligence, our confidence in our intellect, and impact our education and career choices. 

But what cannot be emphasized enough is this: IQ is not the sole determinant of success or happiness. Emotional intelligence, creativity, perseverance, and social skills are of tantamount importance to what makes a successful, well-balanced life. IQ is one part of a much richer human story, but a meaningful one nonetheless. 

Nucleus IQ: Genetics and the battle for intelligence

Nucleus IQ is a genetic analysis that explores how DNA influences how good you are at using reasoning and logic to solve problems. By combining the impact of over half a million DNA differences that affect how we score on an IQ test, they provide a genetic score that places you in a lower-than-average, average, or above-average category.   

An example graph from Nucleus IQ that shows whether their genetics places them high, average, or low on how they’d score on an IQ test. 

While providing insights into the genetic basis of a specific component of intelligence, Nucleus IQ also emphasizes the significant role played by environmental factors and transparently acknowledges the limitations of genetic predictions. Positioned as more than just an entertainment tool, Nucleus IQ aims to offer a scientific perspective on the genetic aspects of intelligence, while remaining mindful of the ethical implications and the evolving nature of this field.

Critics argue that current genetic models for predicting IQ are still in their infancy and may not be scientifically robust enough to justify their use. Despite these criticisms, Nucleus defends its approach by emphasizing the transparent communication of the limitations and potential of these tests. They position their IQ analysis as an evolving tool, one that can offer insights into the genetic factors that might influence cognitive abilities while acknowledging that genetics is only part of the equation.

“Some ethicists also express a darker anxiety: a worry that companies will be tempted to test the blurry line that separates genetic prediction of disease risk from attempts to divine more complex traits laden with social stigmas. They portray it as a slippery slope that could lead to new modes of discrimination and bias.”

From a Fledgling Genetic Science, A Murky Market for Prediction: The commercial push is raising tension between scientists seeking new genetic links, and entrepreneurs seeking profit. [Undark, 10/27/23]

In our episode we go deeper into this, and also talk through the other genetic IQ tests offered online. As someone who loves using brain training games (particularly the app Impulse) to sharpen my intellect, I certainly want to see if the tools I’m using are helping push my number up! 🤓

Product Demo

Nucleus’ inception

Founded by Kian Sadeghi, Nucleus was born out of a personal tragedy that highlighted the need for accessible and comprehensive genetic testing. 

In 2005, Sadeghi’s 16-year-old cousin died suddenly in her sleep of what was suspected to be long QT syndrome, a rare congenital heart disorder. Sadeghi’s parents told Kian it was “bad genetics.”

“I realized that an accessible health platform that uses genomics and lifestyle data to analyze disease risks could have made a life-changing impact on my family,” Sadeghi says. “That’s what we want to build for everyone. That’s what Nucleus can be.”

Nucleus IQ is just a part of the larger picture of Nucleus. While their IQ analysis is eye-catching, their fundamental goal is to transform the healthcare industry and make people rethink what they need to know to stay healthy and live longer. 

On a broader scale, Nucleus is making advanced genomic insights available to the general public, providing a platform that integrates cutting-edge genomic technology with a user-friendly interface. Their mission is to make DNA part of our everyday life. Nucleus currently provides insights on 20 diseases, including heart health, cancers, mental health, and more. 

The company has raised over $18M in funding from Alexis Ohanian's Seven Seven Six, Founders Fund, Adrian Aoun (CEO, Forward Health), Brent Saunders (Chairman and CEO, Bausch + Lomb), Patrick Hsu (Bioengineering Professor, UC Berkeley) and others. 

The power of 6 billion DNA letters

At the heart of Nucleus' offerings is whole-genome sequencing (WGS), a method that allows for the complete analysis of an individual’s DNA. WGS captures both common and rare genetic variants that could have significant impacts on health. Unlike other DNA tests that focus on specific genetic markers or limited panels, this kind of holistic analysis provides a comprehensive view of an individual’s genetic makeup. 

This capability enables Nucleus to identify risks for a wide range of conditions, from common diseases like coronary artery disease cardiovascular issues and cancer to thousands of rare genetic disorders. For example, identifying a genetic variant linked to an increased risk of heart disease can lead to lifestyle changes or medical monitoring that might prevent a future heart attack. Similarly, understanding one’s genetic risk for certain cancers can prompt earlier and more frequent screenings, potentially catching the disease at a more treatable stage. 

By utilizing WGS, Nucleus is part of a larger shift towards a more proactive and personalized approach to healthcare.

Nucleus ultimate goal is to bring the power of DNA into your every day life. In the same way that we assess our sleep, activity level, blood glucose, metabolic health and more through trackers like Apple Watch, Oūra, Whoop, and Levels, Nucleus wants to bring the foundation to all those metrics — DNA — to our habitual health monitoring.   

“DNA companies have stagnated because they haven’t understood that DNA is a part of a health stack — it’s the lynchpin that gives clarity to all the superficial measurements we engage in,” says Sadeghi. 

Nucleus Premium is the first step towards this larger mission. You can order the Premium DNA kit, swab your cheeks, send the DNA sample to their laboratory (Nucleus only sequences in the U.S. and on U.S. machines) and receive insights on a wide array of common diseases. 

They also plan to release a “Generational Health” product in the coming months, geared towards individuals planning on having children. Nucleus will screen for genetic conditions that could be passed on to one’s offspring. This can include single-gene tests for hereditary conditions like cystic fibrosis or broader panels that assess risk for multiple conditions.

If companies like Nucleus can make the kind of splash in personalized health as they are hoping for, we may see more than just an highly engaging IQ report and health analyses. The future is that of individual health, and the gates seem to be opening to a new frontier. 

You can catch Nucleus at the Don’t Die Summit in San Francisco on Sept 8, 2024.  

Facts

• 23&me looks at <.1% of your DNA, Nucleus tests 1,000x more DNA than 23andMe 

• Nucleus currently provides insights on 20 diseases, including heart health, cancers, mental health, and more.

• Their platform combines more than 70,000 individual genetic tests into one comprehensive WGS-based analysis, offering insights into both common and rare conditions.

• Nucleus sequences your entire genome — all 6 billion letters — so you can mitigate more diseases, make healthier decisions, and live with confidence.

• Their whole-genome DNA test is more than 99.9% accurate. From their research, to sourcing, to manufacturing and testing, they go above and beyond industry standards to bring you safe and accurate results.

• About 90% of people in the U.S. don’t know that they have a DNA variant that can cause a treatable disease. 

• Widespread genetic testing for breast and ovarian cancer would prevent almost 10,000 cases and 2,400 deaths every year.

Resources

Nucleus

• Thread: Predicting IQ from DNA [Kian on X]

• Genetics can predict height, cancer risks, neuropsychiatric diseases and more — but not IQ? [Kian on Substack]

  • Is a genetic analysis for IQ snake oil? Complex, yes. Unscientific? No.

• Humanity’s new frontier is complete genomic knowledge. The barriers are ideological. [Nucleus Genomics]

• Nucleus Genomics wants to make personalized health care a reality [Illumina]

  • A New York–based startup is on a mission to bring the power of whole-genome sequencing to the world

Controversy / Genomics

• From a Fledgling Genetic Science, A Murky Market for Prediction

  • The commercial push is raising tension between scientists seeking new genetic links, and entrepreneurs seeking profit.

• Why You Should Be Careful About 23andMe’s Health Test [NYT]

• Illumina: The Measurement Monopoly [The Century of Biology]

  • How one biotech company changed the arc of genomics

Interviews

• How to Become Relentless as an Entrepreneur with Kian Sadeghi, Nucleus [Alex Lieberman]

• Mega Pod! (ft. Martin Shkreli) Debate Recap, Trump Coin, DNA, The Downfall Of The Squad, Green Cards [Pirate Wires]

IQ & Human Intelligence

• ***Richard Haier: IQ Tests, Human Intelligence, and Group Differences [Lex Fridman]*** (highly recommend)

  • Richard Haier is a psychologist specializing in the science of human intelligence

  • Clip: Are people born smart? [Richard Haier and Lex Fridman]

Timestamps

[00:00:00] Introduction to Nucleus Genomics and Whole Genome Sequencing

[00:01:44] Recent Product Launch: Nucleus IQ

[00:03:58] Demonstration of Personal Nucleus IQ Report

[00:08:12] Controversy in Providing Genetic Insights to Consumers

[00:11:43] Differentiating Intelligence, IQ Tests, and Genetic Contributions

[00:15:00] Sponsor: Archer

[00:15:59] History of Consumer Genomics and 23andMe

[00:19:48] The Future of Consumer Healthcare and Genomics Integration

[00:23:59] Kian Sadeghi's Personal Story and Founding of Nucleus

[00:27:28] Nucleus' Sequencing Partnerships and Process

[00:29:25] Detailed Breakdown of Nucleus' Product Offerings

[00:31:59] Nucleus' Business Model and Future Integration Plans

[00:34:00] Composition and Expertise of Nucleus Team

[00:35:39] Current and Potential Future Partnerships

[00:36:59] Upcoming Product Launches and Growth Plans

[00:37:37] Closing Remarks and Call for Software Engineers

[00:37:59] Outro