Nebula Genomics started in 2016 to much fanfare with offering free genomic sequencing and blockchain technology to protect DNA test results.
Their first offering of an 0.4x WGS test was not considered viable for Genetic Genealogy use and so never really appeared here. But in February 2020, they introduced a 30x WGS test for sub-$500 that competed well with Dante Labs in this sub-$500 full sequencing space. They were the second in the market after Dante Labs founded the personal WGS market.
Also key to their new announcement of a 30x WGS product is a tie-up with traditional vendor FamilyTreeDNA. FTDNA's parent is providing the kit shipping and receiving and sample prep for Nebula. (FTDNA)), by early internal reporting from both companies, will provide access to transfer in WGS results directly into their yDNA BigY and mtDNA phylogenetic tree and SNP matches sites. As well as inclusion in their FamilyFinder autosomal SNP matches service. The FTDNA y111 STR results cannot be completely and reliably read using NGS techniques and so is not expected to be included as part of this partnership and data transfer. This is the first tie-up between a traditional Genetic Genealogy company and WGS testing. Testing was done by BGI in Hong Kong with bulk shipments from Houston arranged. DTDNA never honored nor implemented the agreement to transfer into their database.
After the first year, and the partnership for data transfer never being fulfilled by FTDNA, Nebula changed their partnership for sequencing services from FTDNA to BGI Genomics using their CLIA-registered, CAP accredited Hong Kong testing laboratory. (Both FGC and Dante Labs started with this service but received poor delivery; so it is not yet clear if things have changed.) Significantly different this time is Nebula is getting access to the new MGI DNBSEQ-T7 DNA sequencing machines that provide 30x, 150 base-pair read length WGS on a par with the Illumina Novaseq 6000 used by many other labs but for much less cost per sample. This as opposed to the earlier rendition used by Dante Labs and others that was a 100 base pair service. Both sequencers are research products from the MGI Complete Genomics subsidiary in California but manufactured in China.
As with Dante Labs, Nebula offers full Sequencing File Format results delivery of FASTQ, BAM and VCF files; all using a GRCh38 version of the human genome reference model. Like early Genetic Genealogy companies, Nebula does require a subscription for access to reports on your data. But they claim your RAW results data (i.e. sequencing file format data) will be accessible without a subscription. One does have to subscribe to order the test but can then cancel once receiving the results. A recent change in their model does not start the subscription until the product results are delivered (i.e. sequencing files). So the minimum subscription cost is $19 for one month and must be incorporated into any cost.
Nebula was started by Harvard University Medial School professor George Church and his genetic laboratory colleagues. The real goal, given when formed, was to provide a platform for researchers to do new drug discovery. Similar to 23andMe in that regard. This never developed.
In 202x, Nebula was quietly sold to Prophase who sought to expand into the clinical sequencing market. After a year or so of operating using the BGI lab, ProPhase then built their own sequencing lab in a new New Jersey facility Based on the same MGI DNBSEQ T7 that was now available in the USA market. In late Fall 2024, within a month of their lab coming online, Prophase abruptly closed their newly developed lab, changed their personal WGS offering to be coming from a new subsidiary named DNA Complete, and announced they were looking to sell the Nebula / DNA Complete business. Delivery of results from orders has been very spotty since. And once delivery started to resume in late 2025, the results were not a 30x WGS but some enrichment mechanism only giving 80-90% coverage over the genome. And thus missing 5-20% of the important markers.
Their first offering of an 0.4x WGS test was not considered viable for Genetic Genealogy use and so never really appeared here. But in February 2020, they introduced a 30x WGS test for sub-$500 that competed well with Dante Labs in this sub-$500 full sequencing space. They were the second in the market after Dante Labs founded the personal WGS market.
Also key to their new announcement of a 30x WGS product is a tie-up with traditional vendor FamilyTreeDNA. FTDNA's parent is providing the kit shipping and receiving and sample prep for Nebula. (FTDNA)), by early internal reporting from both companies, will provide access to transfer in WGS results directly into their yDNA BigY and mtDNA phylogenetic tree and SNP matches sites. As well as inclusion in their FamilyFinder autosomal SNP matches service. The FTDNA y111 STR results cannot be completely and reliably read using NGS techniques and so is not expected to be included as part of this partnership and data transfer. This is the first tie-up between a traditional Genetic Genealogy company and WGS testing. Testing was done by BGI in Hong Kong with bulk shipments from Houston arranged. DTDNA never honored nor implemented the agreement to transfer into their database.
After the first year, and the partnership for data transfer never being fulfilled by FTDNA, Nebula changed their partnership for sequencing services from FTDNA to BGI Genomics using their CLIA-registered, CAP accredited Hong Kong testing laboratory. (Both FGC and Dante Labs started with this service but received poor delivery; so it is not yet clear if things have changed.) Significantly different this time is Nebula is getting access to the new MGI DNBSEQ-T7 DNA sequencing machines that provide 30x, 150 base-pair read length WGS on a par with the Illumina Novaseq 6000 used by many other labs but for much less cost per sample. This as opposed to the earlier rendition used by Dante Labs and others that was a 100 base pair service. Both sequencers are research products from the MGI Complete Genomics subsidiary in California but manufactured in China.
As with Dante Labs, Nebula offers full Sequencing File Format results delivery of FASTQ, BAM and VCF files; all using a GRCh38 version of the human genome reference model. Like early Genetic Genealogy companies, Nebula does require a subscription for access to reports on your data. But they claim your RAW results data (i.e. sequencing file format data) will be accessible without a subscription. One does have to subscribe to order the test but can then cancel once receiving the results. A recent change in their model does not start the subscription until the product results are delivered (i.e. sequencing files). So the minimum subscription cost is $19 for one month and must be incorporated into any cost.
Nebula was started by Harvard University Medial School professor George Church and his genetic laboratory colleagues. The real goal, given when formed, was to provide a platform for researchers to do new drug discovery. Similar to 23andMe in that regard. This never developed.
In 202x, Nebula was quietly sold to Prophase who sought to expand into the clinical sequencing market. After a year or so of operating using the BGI lab, ProPhase then built their own sequencing lab in a new New Jersey facility Based on the same MGI DNBSEQ T7 that was now available in the USA market. In late Fall 2024, within a month of their lab coming online, Prophase abruptly closed their newly developed lab, changed their personal WGS offering to be coming from a new subsidiary named DNA Complete, and announced they were looking to sell the Nebula / DNA Complete business. Delivery of results from orders has been very spotty since. And once delivery started to resume in late 2025, the results were not a 30x WGS but some enrichment mechanism only giving 80-90% coverage over the genome. And thus missing 5-20% of the important markers.
External Links
- Press Coverage of the new $299 WGS product from Nebula
- Nebula Genomics website (Portal for accessing data)