It is said that all humans share 99.9% of their DNA with each other. That sounds remarkably high, until you consider that we share around 50% of our DNA with bananas and about 84 with dogs!
The remaining 0.01% of your DNA that’s left is what makes you different to everybody else (it’s also what forensic scientists are interested in when they need to identify a person or establish the paternity of a child). A new company called Dot One has partnered up with DNA testing company AlphaBiolabs to analyse your DNA and interpret it into unique artwork – such as posters, cushions and scarves.
In order to get yours, you will need to submit a DNA sample in the form of a cheek swab and send it off for analysis. The DNA scientists look for pieces of genetic code known as Short Tandem Repeats – or STRs. These are the unique markers that vary from person to person, and control all sorts of things from eye colour to height or even your tendency to be a light or heavy sleeper. Back at the design studio, each STR is designated a particular colour, creating a tartan-like pattern of coloured block and stripes.
The video below explains more about how the process works:
DNA Personalized Scarf from Dotone on Vimeo.
Each order also contains a personalised book which explains the science and lets you look at the raw data extracted from your DNA.
The company name Dot One is a reference to the .1 percent of unique information coded into your DNA. The business was started by London-based designer Iona Inglesby who wanted to demystify the hard science involved in DNA testing. “When you do DNA profiling, they run your sample through a gel and it creates a quite geometric, linear pattern,” she says. “The prints are reflective of the process itself… What I want to do in my work is take data that’s quite sterile and make something that people can relate to in a way that’s really personal”
