Gese DNA's Guo Tingting: Genetic Testing Is Not a User Manual—Nature and Nurture Are Equally Important

In the quest to explore our own origins, humanity has never ceased its strides. “Genes are like the fundamental backdrop of a person; they are an unavoidable hurdle in our journey of self-discovery,” Guo Tingting, founder of Gese DNA, told VCBeat in an interview.

In 2003, the U.S. Department of Defense and the National Institutes of Health announced the completion of the sequencing of 3 billion human base pairs, marking the successful conclusion of the Human Genome Project after more than a decade of effort. Since then, DNA research has entered a fast track, with particularly significant advances in sequence determination.

It took less than a decade for genetic testing technology to transition from research, medical, and civil applications to the consumer market, whereas most high-tech projects typically require ten to several decades to complete this trajectory. However, this rapid pace has come with side effects. After the initial hype subsided, the practical utility of consumer-grade genetic testing has proven to be somewhat underwhelming.

“Genetic interpretation is not a user manual for humans. An individual’s development depends equally on innate genetics and environmental factors; understanding it from only one perspective yields very limited practical utility,” said Guo Tingting. This is also the awkward predicament currently faced by most entrepreneurs in the consumer-grade genetic testing sector.

In 2015, the cost of gene sequencing dropped below $1,000. Twelve years earlier, when scientists first completed this endeavor, the cost was $3 billion.

With technological advancements, the consumer-grade genetic testing industry chain has taken shape. Entrepreneurs no longer need to master upstream R&D technologies for chips and instruments; instead, they only need to focus on data analysis research and user-oriented products. While this appears to significantly lower the capital barrier for entering the consumer-grade genetic testing sector, it also means that new entrants must establish higher barriers in developing their own technical product moats.

For a time, China’s consumer-grade genetic testing sector saw a surge of activity, with more than 200 startups rushing to enter this arena.

The rise of the internet model has also facilitated the development of consumer-grade genetic testing. Individuals no longer need to visit physical stores; they simply mail their saliva samples to a designated location and can access their genetic test reports online within several weeks.

Guo Tingting, Founder of Gesedna (Photo provided by the interviewee)

Guo Tingting, who was pursuing her Ph.D. in Cognitive Neuroscience at the Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, joined the entrepreneurial wave at an early stage, focusing on consumer-grade psychological and behavioral trait detection and analysis—a field that had never been explored before.

Guo Tingting candidly stated that although consumer-grade genetic testing in China appears to be undergoing a period of rapid development, it remains a niche business. “The root of the problem lies in the fact that after several years of development, products in this field have lacked substantial breakthroughs compared to their early counterparts. Consequently, the population reached has not differed significantly from the early stages, and the size of this target population is limited.”

Previously, Guo Tingting’s primary research field was neuroscience, in which interpreting human psychological behavior through physiological data serves as a key methodological approach. Surrounded by friends who are full of curiosity, she had an accidental opportunity when several friends and colleagues shared their DNA data with her. Genes account for approximately 50% of the influence on many psychological traits, making their impact equally significant as that of the living environment.

“What I aim to explore is how diverse data can help us understand why a person has become who they are today, and what steps they can take to change their life. From this perspective, DNA data is an indispensable element in our journey of self-discovery, as it can be regarded as the fundamental blueprint of an individual,” said Guo Tingting. However, scientific self-exploration requires more than just DNA data. “I hope DNA data serves as a tool to help us achieve our goals, but it should not constitute the entirety of the product we offer.”

On the Gese DNA website, two distinctive formulas are prominently displayed: “Genes + Personal Experiences = The Unique You” and “The Present You + Action = A Better You.” These echo Guo Tingting’s statement that Gese DNA does more than just provide genetic testing; it helps users enhance their self-awareness, thereby enabling targeted self-improvement.

GeSe DNA helps users enhance self-awareness primarily through three approaches: first, obtaining genetic information via gene testing; second, tracing past experiences by quantifying significant life events; and third, understanding users’ current psychological and behavioral characteristics through professional assessment scales.

At the detection end, GeSe DNA employs Illumina’s high-throughput ASA chips, which can simultaneously detect 750,000 loci. The preliminary steps of DNA extraction and sequencing are performed by Guoke Biology, a partner laboratory situated further upstream in the industry chain. GeSe DNA is responsible for data analysis, interpretation, and user operations after obtaining the test results.

Regarding status scales, GeSe DNA primarily selects mainstream research findings from authoritative academic journals with an average impact factor of over 5 for referenced papers, ensuring an internal consistency coefficient (Cronbach’s α) above 0.8.

Ultimately, users receive a comprehensive online report exceeding 200,000 words, grounded in cutting-edge psychological and genetic analyses. This report covers over 100 life traits—including career, love, social interactions, lifestyle, health, and ancestry—and provides actionable recommendations based on the analytical findings.

Guo Tingting told VCBeat that the final reports delivered to users are not static; instead, they are updated in real time as various DNA databases expand, algorithms are upgraded, and the volume of user DNA data analysis increases. “This helps enhance user stickiness to some extent,” Guo stated. Currently, GeSe DNA has served over 30,000 genetic testing users. The user profile primarily consists of highly educated young professionals with at least a bachelor’s degree, aged 26 to 28, residing in first- and second-tier cities, with a balanced gender ratio.

People have always had the need to understand themselves and have continuously sought various means to do so. Astrology and fortune-telling, with their elements of entertainment and social interaction, have become popular topics today, subtly aligning with this trend.

In Guo Tingting’s view, their manifestations offer certain valuable insights: their interfaces typically feature mini-games or quizzes that provide a degree of entertainment while offering psychological comfort to those inclined to engage with them.

Packaging of Various DNA Products (Image provided by the interviewee)

Guo Tingting emphasized that genetic testing is not a user manual for humans, but rather a tool based on genetics and psychology that combines genetic analysis with assessments of postnatal environmental factors and big data comparisons to help users better understand and improve themselves. Our goal is to leverage various data sources to provide users with a product that is scientifically robust at its core and user-friendly in its interface.

Previously, GeSe DNA secured millions of yuan in angel funding from Daxiang Gonghui and individual investors, as well as a RMB 9 million Pre-A round from Long Hill Capital.

Finally, Guo Tingting stated that whether positioned as a consumer-grade genetic testing product or as a self-development-oriented offering, this sector is unlikely to experience a significant surge in the short term, but will instead demonstrate a trend of sustained and stable growth. Therefore, for Gesedna, it is more crucial to steadily refine its products, maintain healthy cash flow, and achieve consistent business growth.

According to Guo Tingting, GeSe DNA will integrate more phenotypic data in the future and continuously iterate and upgrade its products based on accumulated database insights.