fastcompany.com: What exactly is in your genes? What does your genetic makeup say about your future? A generation ago, it was virtually impossible to answer such questions. Now potential answers are tumbling forth, thanks to dazzling advances in the mapping of the human genome. But like any new technology, its promise exceeds current performance. Costs are steep, the technology is delicate, and lead users (doctors) are only beginning to consider gene tests valuable for their patients.

Dr. Charles Strom wants to change all that.

As head of the molecular and biochemical genetics lab at the Nichols Institute, Strom runs one of the world’s busiest gene-testing sites. (Nichols is the main R&D arm of Quest Diagnostics, the largest medical-testing company in the United States.) Each week, his team analyzes more than 1,500 patient samples for evidence of genes that trigger cystic fibrosis, rare forms of deafness, and other disorders. In many cases, test orders are growing by more than 100% a year. [ read more ]