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Genetics ​

Enter variant calls from a consumer genetics test (23andMe, AncestryDNA, etc., often run through a downstream interpretation tool like Promethease) so the simulation can adjust where genetics meaningfully change physiology.

What's tracked ​

The app's genetics catalog covers variants with functional, simulation-relevant consequences:

  • Pharmacogenomics — CYP2D6, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP3A4 (drug metabolism rates).
  • Methylation — MTHFR (C677T, A1298C), MTR, MTRR, COMT.
  • Caffeine / catecholamine — CYP1A2, MAOA.
  • Lipid metabolism — APOE, LIPA.
  • Vitamin D — VDR, GC.
  • Iron — HFE (hemochromatosis variants).
  • Folate — DHFR, FOLH1.
  • Other — selected variants with documented clinical relevance.

The exact field list comes from a curated genetics panel built into the simulation engine.

What's NOT tracked ​

The app deliberately doesn't try to be a full genetics platform:

  • Ancestry / heritage — irrelevant to physiology.
  • Disease-risk SNPs without therapeutic relevance — out of scope.
  • Polygenic risk scores — too noisy, too complex for the simulation context.

If your interpretation report lists 100,000 SNPs, the app's catalog covers a few dozen. Those are the ones the simulation actually uses.

How to enter values ​

  1. Profile → Genetics.
  2. Each panel groups related variants.
  3. For each variant, pick the option matching your call:
    • Numeric / select — pick CC / CT / TT, etc.
    • Boolean — yes / no for presence of a specific variant.
  4. Save.

You can leave any variant blank. Only variants you enter affect the simulation.

Where the variants come from ​

For each variant, the app shows the rsID and the panel's standard nomenclature (e.g., "MTHFR C677T (rs1801133): CC / CT / TT"). Look up the same rsID in your raw 23andMe data or Promethease report and pick the matching call.

Reading 23andMe raw data

Open your raw download. Search for the rsID. The genotype column has the call (e.g., "AG"). Map to the app's options:

  • Two reference alleles → "wild-type" / "no variant" / "C/C" depending on the field.
  • One reference + one variant → heterozygous / "C/T" / "AG".
  • Two variant alleles → homozygous variant / "T/T" / "GG".

How genetics affects the simulation ​

Specific examples of what the model adjusts:

  • MTHFR C677T (TT): reduces methylation efficiency by ~70%. Folate and homocysteine pathway responses shift.
  • CYP2D6 poor metabolizer: drugs metabolized by CYP2D6 (some antidepressants, beta-blockers) clear more slowly.
  • APOE 4/4: shifts lipid response to dietary fat.
  • HFE C282Y/C282Y: iron absorption substantially increased; relevant if tracking ferritin.

The simulation doesn't make health predictions ("you'll get X disease"). It tunes biochemistry.

Common questions ​

"Do I need to enter genetics?" No. Default values produce a generic model. Genetics tunes it to your specifics.

"What if I don't have a 23andMe report?" Don't enter anything. The simulation works fine without it. If you're curious about pharmacogenetics specifically, services like Genelex, Genomind, or AncestryDNA + Promethease can produce relevant reports.

"Will my genetics data leave the app?" No. It's stored against your account, never shared, never used for anything except your own simulation. Included in your data export.

"What about clinically-actionable variants like BRCA?" Not tracked here. The app focuses on metabolic / pharmacogenomic variants. Clinically-actionable cancer genetics is the domain of medical genetic counseling, not a tracking app.

"Is this medical advice?" No. Surfacing that you have a CYP2D6 variant is informational. Acting on it (changing a medication dose, picking a different drug) requires a doctor.

Privacy ​

Genetics is the most sensitive personal data in the app. It's encrypted in transit and at rest, stored against your account only, and never used in cross-user analytics. Data export and account deletion include and remove genetics fully.

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