Updates

Where the project stands

The Starseed Genetics project has been running since July 2024. We now have about twenty families in the project, roughly sixty people, and about half have had their DNA analyzed. The rest are waiting on funding.

Our method looks for two signals. First, non-parental DNA sequences: a substantial sequence in a child that is physically part of the child's chromosome but present in neither parent. Second, rare starseed markers: sequences that are enriched in starseeds or absent from the large public human databases. A family trio (mother, father, child) is the strongest design, but individuals and parent-child pairs are also valuable, because we can compare a person's genome against public population databases.

We now invite everyone to take part through sequencing.com: order a whole-genome sequencing kit (about $379), collect a sample by brushing inside the cheek, and share the data with us. We do the analysis for free and send you every finding in your own genome. Instructions are at StarseedGenetics.com.

Max Rempel, Ph.D. · July 2026