Digital genetics group DNAtix has achieved a landmark development in its vision of personalized preventive medicine by completing the first successful Proof of Concept (PoC) test for transferring DNA sequences onto the blockchain.

According to a press release Sunday, the Los Angeles based company transferred the complete genome sequence of a virus – Enterobacteria phage phiX174 sensu lato – over the Ethereum Blockchain.DNAtix said this proof of concept test is a key milestone in the research and development being done by its innovative team and the company believes that it is the first time that anyone has successfully transferred a DNA sequence over a blockchain.

DNAtix said this proof of concept test is a key milestone in the research and development being done by its team and believes that it is the first time that anyone has successfully transferred a DNA sequence over a blockchain.

The company stated that the DNA transfer opens the door for many services and applications that DNAtix is going to offer users of its platform and ecosystem.

“This is only the beginning of unlocking humanity’s biggest mysteries,” said Ofer Lidsky, DNAtix’s CEO and co-founder, in a statement. “Our ecosystem will enable better genetic understanding by allowing players in the market to use our open source technology, and introduce new developments for the benefit of humankind.”

The biggest obstacle in this kind of process is the size of the data, which is too large to be efficiently supported by current blockchain technologies (even after applying DNA compression methods), but DNAtix said its proprietary DNA compression algorithms made all the difference.

The company said it has developed a working prototype, a direct-to-consumer platform that will allow users to perform partial or full DNA sequence analysis and choose add-on tests, all digitized, from a wide selection of services.

“Transferring the sequence of a virus, which in terms of size of genetic data of living organisms is considered small, is just the first step,” said Tal Sines, DNAtix CSO & Co-founder. “Your DNA is the key to improve your lifestyle and healthcare.”

By developing the ability to transfer large amounts of DNA data on a blockchain in a secure and anonymous way, the company said its vision is a new world of genetic possibilities will allow for advancements in research, development of treatments, and cutting-edge personalized and preventive medicine.