Mail-order gene test can tell if your kid will be a sports star
March 11th, 2011 - 8:51 pm ICT by Aishwarya BhattNew York, Mar 11 (THAINDIAN NEWS) Interested parents are rushing to buy a mail-order kit that they believe could predict if their child could become a sports star.
An Australian firm, Genetic Technologies Limited, is the developer of the ACTN3 test kit which is marketed in the United States by Atlas Sports Genetics. According to the marketers, the kit can predict if a child has what it takes to be a sports personality. The parent is just required to take swabs from the cheeks of the child and return the kit to the point of purchase. Results are then sent back in several days after that.
The kit’s principle is based on years of study that has found certain cells and genes responsible for athletic performance.
Other scientists and doctors are worried about the kit. They believe that the companies involved are just exploiting patients for their selfish gains. Though the scientists admit that some athletic indications could be determined in the genes, they insist that there are possibly hundreds of other factors that come into play before a full conclusion could be made.
The kit is currently being sold at $169 apiece.
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