More information on the Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation )SMGF) databases and Ancestry.com

Dr Tim Janzen has been running a Low German Mennonite Project at SMGF since 2006.  I am one of the participants in the study. In that time he has sent about 2000 test samples and genealogies to SMGF for their DNA project.  He has received two communications from SMGF in the past month giving more info on what is happening to the SMGF databases and genetic samples.  CeCe Moore has just published Dr Janzen's writup on the situation on her Your Genetic Genealogist blog. You can read it here: An important update on SMGF from Dr Tim Janzen. I also wrote about SMGF in this post: Status of the Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation, SMGF, genetic genealogy DNA Databases and GeneTree

Status of the Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation, SMGF,genetic genealogy DNA Databases and GeneTree

Like many other people I participated in the Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation, Y DNA, mtDNA and autosomal DNA testing program.  Recently some of the principal people involved in that program moved to Ancestry.com and their DNA Ancestry program.  I wrote to the SMGF to ask about the status of their databases. With their permission, their reply is printed below :

Hello Steven,

Yes, the databases have been transferred to Ancestry.com. GeneTree will not be continuing; they have stopped taking orders and in the near future www.genetree.com will be taken down. There are not plans to automatically 'convert' GeneTree accounts into Ancestry.com accounts, so GeneTree customers will need to move their information over to Ancestry on an individual basis.

As far as the autosomal database is concerned, our autosomal tests were generated with older technology, making them incompatible with current industry standards. Therefore, they are not included in the autosomal service offered by AncestryDNA. We also don't plan on making them available via smgf.org.
Best regards,

SMGF

As of today, 1 June 2012, the Y DNA and mtDNA databases are still available at the SMGF site: http://smgf.org/ If you have tested I suggest you go and download your results and your matches. It is my understanding that people will be able to remove their results from the Ancestry.com databases if they so desire.

Ancestry launches Beta of DNA Ancestry

Today I received an email from Ancestry announcing the opening of the Beta phase of their autosomal DNA testing program.  The URL is http://dna.ancestry.com/ If you already subscribe to Ancestry.com you should receive the same email allowing your to signup for an invitation.  The cost is $99.00.  At the moment you do not get your raw data file. This may change when the service moves out of Beta. This appears to be in combination with their acquisition of GeneTree and their collaboration with the Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation

The Press Release is here .