We like to believe that we were born with a choice. That all men are created equal and that we have the power to shape our destiny. However, the truth is, much of who we are was predetermined while we were still in the womb. From your study habits, to your athleticism, to your attention to detail, or lack thereof, all of these traits have some genetic basis. And now, it seems we must add one more predisposition to the list:

Your significant other.

Yes, new scientific research has shown that you may have been predisposed towards your loved one since birth, as couples tend to have far more DNA in common than strangers. Even when racial variability was taken out of the equation, humans still gravitated towards people with similar genomes. To come to this conclusion, researchers genetically tested 825 U.S. married couples born between the 1930’s and 1950’s. By analyzing 1.7 million single nucleotide polymorphisms…sorry, let me back up. Whenever I get excited I start spitting out scientific jargon, so please bear with me. Single nucleotide polymorphisms are sections of the genome that display nucleotide variability (changes in the genetic alphabet: A, T, G, and C) between same species members. This way they aren’t comparing sections of your DNA that would be identical whether you were a human or a cow.

Anyway, by comparing these nucleotide polymorphisms to other individuals in the same race but opposite sex, the study found that similar genetic codes are central to unlocking your heart. To help you appreciate just how powerful this connection is, genetic similarity was shown to have about a third of the influence as having a similar educational background does on spouse selection.

So what is it that people look for in a genome? Dr. Benjamin Dominique, a researcher at the University of Colorado Behavior Science department, said there was no one gene that controlled an individual’s heart strings, but rather love was controlled by a plethora of multifaceted genes that influence such things as height, intellect, and even personality type (Dunham, 2014).

While this may not seem like the hard-hitting news you are used to on The Genetic Link, this has huge applications for all of you who have convinced yourselves that you will never find your other-half. Numerous dating sites are now embracing these new findings and bringing online dating into the 21^st century. Sites such as GenePartner.com, ScientificMatch.com, and DatingDNA.com make finding your soul-genotype easy. Now you can simply send off a cheek swab and your perfect match will be hand selected by a team of professional love experts/lonely single geneticists who will evaluate your compatibility on 1.7 million levels.

So what are you waiting for? Your special genome partner is waiting for you.

Works Cited:

1. Dunham, Will. ‘WATCH: How Your DNA May Have Influenced Your Marriage’. The Huffington Post. 2014. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/21/married-couples-dna-study_n_5353953.html

Welcome to the third installment of The Genetic Link (The Yeast Edition), the only in-depth blog you need for your genetics news. In the past, The Genetic Link has brought you such favorites as Super Bananas, Three-Parent Babies, A Cure for Aging, and Cloning Extinct Animals for Dummies. After celebrating critically acclaimed success in the classroom, the Genetic Link is back for another 10 week series hoping to cover more of the incredible information contained within your DNA.

Over the next few weeks, this site will make genetics relatable and understandable to everyone while delving into biological connections you never knew existed. Having been fascinated by genetics since determining something had to be done (and soon!) about my current gene pool, I have made it my quest to learn everything I can on the topic and hopefully fix the many disorders I am likely to develop later in life.

In this season of the Genetic Link, we will not only explore the amazing bio-news happening every day, but will also feature my very own research being conducted at the Bai Laboratory at Penn State University. As a Biochemistry and Molecular Biology major, this is my first laboratory experience at Penn State and I am excited to share with the world weekly updates on my progress as I learn more on DNA damage and aging. Spoiler alert: It involves yeast.

So what are you waiting for? Follow me for weekly posts on topics such as:

DNA Damage and the Yeast Report

Lies in Genetics: Extracting the myths from the reality

Fitting into a size 4 gene

Couples’ Connection

DNA Testing, Why bother?

Are some people hardwired for science?

….and so much more. So sit back, and start sequencing, because you never know where you may find the next genetic breakthrough. Spoiler alert: It’s going to be yeast.

Special Offer: Are you like me and you can’t wait for the next story. Now for a limited time only you can read all the amazing DNA discussions from seasons 1 and 2 free of charge. Simply go to https://sites.psu.edu/geneticlink for your exclusive access to all the chromosome commentaries you can’t live without.

Welcome Back