Brothers Adam and Ryan Boyko are dog lovers. They’re Ivy League-educated scientists who’ve dedicated their lives to mapping canine genomes. At their South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive Panel, Can Your Dog’s DNA Transform Human Health and Aging?, the brothers described how a dog’s unique status as the first domesticated species also makes it an ideal animal to learn more about human health.

Dogs share many of the same afflictions from which humans suffer, from Muscular Dystrophy to cancer to allergies. Thus, exploring dog DNA can inform us about the human genome. Here are highlights from their presentation.

  • The brother’s research started by tracing the dog species from the multiple breeds we see today, to the animal’s origins as an offshoot of wolves. “Looking at just the genetics of purebred dogs was like looking at the royal family and trying to find insights on the entirety of humanity,” says Ryan, a Harvard-trained computer scientist and big data researcher.
  • So, on his honeymoon with his — now — ex-wife, Ryan traveled across Africa to do genetic testing on what he called “village dogs.” His research eventually led him to Asia, specifically, Nepal, as the birthplace of today’s domesticated dogs. He found that outside of purebred species, across the world, dogs looked very similar in shape in size. Generally, they look like mutts.
  • After tracing the basic elements of dog genetics, the brothers found that the species vast array of different breeds, but relatively simple genetic code, made it a valuable research tool to discover more about human health. (Note: The specifics are pretty complicated.)
  • By investigating the gene mutations in the diseases that dogs and humans share, Adam Boyko, a professor of biomedical sciences at Cornell University, says we can more quickly discover how our shared DNA sequences can both cause — and can prevent — diseases.
  • Adam’s favorite anecdote involved Ringo, a golden retriever who showed the gene mutation for Muscular Dystrophy, but didn’t suffer from the disease. Luckily, Ringo liked to escape from his enclosure, and unintentionally sired four different litters of pups. One of Ringo’s offspring displayed the same condition, and by comparing the DNA of Ringo and his son, scientists were able to identify a compensatory gene mutation that inhibited Muscular Dystrophy from occurring in the dogs.
  • “People love dogs,” Adam says during his presentation, which wound back around to the Boyko brothers pitch: a gene-testing product for dog owners called Embark. With Embark, the brothers hope, they’ll not only provide dog owners with valuable information about the long-term health of their pets, but they’ll also accrue data that can help the human race. To get started, they’re looking for some high-profile dogs, like Bo:

You can file this under “SXSW startup to watch out for in the next year,” since it already has $2 million in funding.

by Thomas Hunter
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