IP Library Granted Patent US 12,033,046
Granted Patent B2
US 12,033,046 · App. 18/472,019 · Granted Jul 9, 2024

Ancestry painting

Inventors: John Michael Macpherson (Santa Ana, CA); Brian Thomas Naughton (Mountain View, CA); Joanna Louise Mountain (Menlo Park, CA)
Assignee: 23andMe, Inc.
G06N20/00G06F3/04812G06F3/0484G06F11/0793G06F16/29G06N5/022G06N5/04G16B20/00G16B20/20G16B20/40G16B30/00G16B40/00G16B40/20G16B40/30G16B45/00G16H10/60
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,033,046
App. No.
18/472,019
Granted
Jul 9, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

Displaying an indication of ancestral data is disclosed. An indication that a genetic interval corresponds to a reference interval that has a likelihood of having one or more ancestral origins is received. One or more graphic display parameters are determined based at least in part on the indication. An indication of the one or more ancestral origins is visually displayed using the one or more graphic display parameters.

Claims (44)

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

obtaining genetic data of an individual;

partitioning the genetic data into intervals based on known genetic intervals, wherein the known genetic intervals each contain one or more genotypes with corresponding frequencies of occurrence within reference populations, and wherein the reference populations are respectively associated with reference geographic origins of reference individuals with the corresponding genotypes;

determining, based on the genetic data of the individual and the frequencies of occurrence for the intervals, geographic origins for one or more of the intervals of the individual;

generating, for display on a graphical user interface, representations of the intervals indicating: one or more of the geographic origins for genotyped intervals, or that one or more of the geographic origins are unknown for un-genotyped intervals; and

providing, to the graphical user interface, the representations of the intervals.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the genetic data includes a pair of chromosomes of the individual, and wherein partitioning the genetic data into intervals comprises partitioning each of the chromosomes separately when the genetic data is phased and partitioning the pair of chromosomes when the genetic data is unphased.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the known genetic intervals are based on non-overlapping adjacent words of consecutive single-nucleotide polymorphisms.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the known genetic intervals are based on fixed-sized words of consecutive single-nucleotide polymorphisms.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the geographic origins include at least Europe, Asia, and Africa.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the graphical user interface includes a drop-down menu that lists a plurality of individuals, wherein the plurality of individuals contains the individual, and wherein selection of the individual by way of the drop-down menu causes the graphical user interface to display the representations of the intervals.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the graphical user interface includes a geographic map of the geographic origins that are known.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the graphical user interface includes a geographic map, and wherein the geographic map includes a spatial distribution of likely ancestral origins.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the graphical user interface includes a geographic map, and wherein the geographic map includes indications of likely ancestral origins for a Y haplogroup or a mitochondrial haplogroup of the individual.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the graphical user interface includes a geographic map, and wherein the geographic map includes indications of migration patterns for ancestors of the individual, wherein the migration patterns are based on known human migration patterns and a geographical location of a haplotype of the individual.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the intervals are arranged in the graphical user interface in a karyotype view including 22 autosomal chromosomes.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11 , wherein the intervals of the 22 autosomal chromosomes are represented as pairs, and wherein the geographic origins for intervals within each pair are separately indicated.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the geographic origins are each represented by different colors.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining the frequencies of occurrence within one or more of the reference populations by: determining, for each respective known genetic interval of the known genetic intervals, a first number of individuals within the one or more of the reference populations exhibiting the respective known genetic interval; and dividing the first number by a second number representing a total of the individuals within the one or more of the reference populations.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the frequencies of occurrence include at least one synthetic rate of occurrence for a synthetic reference population of mixed geographic origins.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein determining the geographic origins for one or more of the intervals of the individual comprises:

determining, for a specific interval of the one or more intervals, a ratio of a largest frequency of occurrence to a second largest frequency of occurrence within the specific interval;

determining that the ratio is above a given threshold or a given quantile; and

based on the ratio being above the given threshold or the given quantile, assigning, to the specific interval, a geographic origin associated with the largest frequency of occurrence.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein determining the geographic origins for one or more of the intervals of the individual comprises:

arranging, for a specific interval of the one or more intervals, a window of n consecutive intervals including the specific interval; and

assigning, to the specific interval, a dominant geographic origin of the n consecutive intervals within the window.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 17 , wherein n is a value from 10 to 50.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing program instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing system, cause the computing system to perform operations comprising:

obtaining genetic data of an individual;

partitioning the genetic data into intervals based on known genetic intervals, wherein the known genetic intervals each contain one or more genotypes with corresponding frequencies of occurrence within reference populations, and wherein the reference populations are respectively associated with reference geographic origins of reference individuals with the corresponding genotypes;

determining, based on the genetic data of the individual and the frequencies of occurrence for the intervals, geographic origins for one or more of the intervals of the individual;

generating, for display on a graphical user interface, representations of the intervals indicating: one or more of the geographic origins for genotyped intervals, or that one or more of the geographic origins are unknown for un-genotyped intervals; and

providing, to the graphical user interface, the representations of the intervals.

20. A computing system comprising:

one or more processors;

memory; and

program instructions, stored in the memory, that upon execution by the one or more processors cause the computing system to perform operations comprising:

obtaining genetic data of an individual;

partitioning the genetic data into intervals based on known genetic intervals, wherein the known genetic intervals each contain one or more genotypes with corresponding frequencies of occurrence within reference populations, and wherein the reference populations are respectively associated with reference geographic origins of reference individuals with the corresponding genotypes;

determining, based on the genetic data of the individual and the frequencies of occurrence for the intervals, geographic origins for one or more of the intervals of the individual;

generating, for display on a graphical user interface, representations of the intervals indicating: one or more of the geographic origins for genotyped intervals, or that one or more of the geographic origins are unknown for un-genotyped intervals; and

providing, to the graphical user interface, the representations of the intervals.

Assignments (4)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE APP. NO. 63806415 TO 63806145 AND APPL NO. 17721779 TO 17731779 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 73168 FRAME 531. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE CHANGE OF NAME. Recorded Jan 6, 2026
From: 23ANDME PGS LLC
To: 23ANDME GENOMICS LLC
Reel/Frame 074434/0334 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 22, 2025
From: 23ANDME PGS LLC
To: 23ANDME GENOMICS LLC
Reel/Frame 073168/0531 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 26, 2025
From: 23ANDME, INC.
To: 23ANDME PGS LLC
Reel/Frame 072562/0795 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 22, 2023
From: MACPHERSON, JOHN MICHAEL; NAUGHTON, BRIAN THOMAS; MOUNTAIN, JOANNA LOUISE
To: 23ANDME, INC.
Reel/Frame 064993/0406 →
Continuity (8)
Continuation 18180691 · Mar 8, 2023
Continuation 18058029 · Nov 22, 2022
Continuation 17682761 · Feb 28, 2022
Continuation 16226116 · Dec 19, 2018
Continuation 15267053 · Sep 15, 2016
Continuation 12381992 · Mar 18, 2009
Provisional Application 61070310 · Mar 19, 2008
Related Publication 20240062115A1 · Feb 22, 2024