More fun with DNA for the holidays

(Credit: DNA 11)

Earlier this morning, fellow Craver Erica Ogg talked about how DNA-related gifts are all the rage this holiday season. Well, here's another option for genetics aficionados. A company called DNA 11 has several options for turning your biological fingerprint (or your physical fingerprint) into visually-pleasing artwork. Here's their gift-giving M.O.: you pay for the artwork before the fact, and then give a DNA collection kit to your favorite Watson & Crick fan for his or her winter holiday of choice. The recipient completes the instructions for a DNA sample, sends it back to the company, and in due time receives some pretty genetic art.

(Credit: DNA 11)

I saw an example of DNA 11's work at the Wired Store in NYC a few weeks back. It's pretty darn cool. In fact, CNET Reviews named DNA 11's "Glowframe" (see green thing at right) to be one of the ultimate luxury gifts of the '06 holidays.

Some of you might still find the DNA Participation Kit that Erica wrote about to be more appealing than cool pictures of stylized gene sequences. But a selection from DNA 11 might be a good pick for those of you for whom aesthetics are more important than cold hard facts, or if you don't want to assume the risk of learning that you might be related to Hitler, Caligula, or Ron Jeremy.