Scientists have been using the same human genome sequence to study genomics for more than 20 years, but on Wednesday it got a major makeover.
Researchers published a new, more inclusive collection of reference human genome sequences in a landmark development that greatly expands on that original reference sequence.
The new pangenome reference includes genome sequences of 47 people from across the globe, according to a series of peer-reviewed papers published in the journal Nature on Wednesday. The original reference human genome sequence primarily came from one person, though it includes components from a total of around 20 people.
The pangenome better reflects the global gene pool, so scientists will be able to use it to more accurately identify genetic variations related to disease. The more diverse reference map will also eventually be used to help develop more personalized care that is tailored to an individual’s DNA, according to the researchers.
A genome is the complete set of DNA instructions necessary for an organism to grow and function. Scientists rely on a reference human genome to establish a “standard” they can use to study the variations that make people unique. On average, human beings’ genomes are around 99% identical, but small differences can give scientists insights into the traits that could affect an individual’s health.
“With a pangenome reference, we can accelerate clinical research by improving our understanding of the link between genes and disease traits,” Wen-Wei Liao, co-first author of the paper, said in a release.
The pangenome uses advanced computational techniques to align all the genome sequences. These techniques helped fill in gaps left by the original reference by adding more than 100 million new DNA letters, the release said.
“The human pangenome reference will enable us to represent tens of thousands of novel genomic variants in regions of the genome that were previously inaccessible,” Liao said.
Scientists at the Human Pangenome Reference Consortium, which is funded by part of the National Institutes of Health, conducted the research.
Financial technology company Chime on Tuesday filed paperwork to go public on the Nasdaq. The company intends to file under the ticker symbol “CHYM.”
“Chime is a technology company, not a bank,” the company said in its prospectus, noting it’s not a member of the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Still, the company cited Bank of America, Capital One, Citibank, JPMorgan Chase, PNC Bank and Wells Fargo as competitors.
Most of Chime’s new members who arrange for direct deposit previously did direct deposit elsewhere, “most commonly with large incumbent banks,” the company said.
According to the filing, Chime picks up revenue from interchange fees associated with purchases that members make with Chime debit cards and credit cards. Banks collect interchange fees, which are generally a percentage of the transaction value, plus a set amount for each transaction depending on the rates determined by card networks such as Visa. The banks then pass money on to Chime.
In the March quarter, Chime generated $12.4 million in net income on $518.7 million in revenue. Revenue grew 32%. At the end of March, Chime had 8.6 million active members, up about 23% year over year. Average revenue per active member, at $251, was up from $231. It has members in all 50 states, and 55% of them female. The average member age is 36.
Around two-thirds of members look to Chime for their “primary financial relationship,” Chime said. The term refers to those who made at least 15 purchases using its card or received a qualifying direct deposit of at least $200 in the past calendar month.
Chime offers a slew of other services in addition to its cards. Eligible members with direct deposit can borrow up to $500 with a fixed interest rate of $5 for every $100 borrowed. The company doesn’t charge late fees or compound interest.
Following an extended drought, IPOs looked poised for a rebound when President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January. CoreWeave’s March debut provided some momentum. But Trump’s tariff announcement in April roiled the market and led companies including Chime as well as trading platform eToro, online lender Klarna and ticket marketplace StubHub to delay their plans.
Read more CNBC tech news
EToro is now scheduled to debut this week, and digital health company Hinge Health issued its pricing range for its IPO on Tuesday, win an expected offering coming soon. Chime’s public filing is the latest sign that emerging tech companies are preparing to test the market’s appetite for risk. Last month Figma said it had filed confidentially for an initial public offering.
Chris Britt, Chime’s co-founder and CEO, told CNBC in 2020 that it would be ready for an IPO within the next 12 months. But in late 2021 markets turned negative on technology as inflation picked up, prompting central bankers to ratchet up interest rates.
Chime was founded in 2012 and is based in San Francisco, with 1,465 employees. It ranked 22nd on CNBC’s 2024 Disruptor 50 list of privately held companies.
Investors include Crosslink Capital, DST Global, General Atlantic, Iconic Strategic Partners and Menlo Ventures.
— CNBC’s Ari Levy contributed to this report.
This is breaking news. Please refresh for updates.
Google‘s stalwart search button has a new neighbor: AI Mode.
The artificial intelligence feature is being tested directly beneath the Google search bar beside a “Google Search” button, replacing the “I’m Feeling Lucky” widget. The new feature, though not widely available yet, is being tested in a location where Google rarely makes changes.
A company spokesperson confirmed the feature began rolling out to some users over the last week.
The spokesperson said the company tests many experiments with its users of “Labs,” Google’s experimental unit that tests new features for those who opt-in. They added that tested products don’t always go on to launch broadly.
The latest feature test shows Google is considering using its most valuable real estate to expose users to its AI technology as it continues to be under pressure to compete in generative AI-driven search.
Read more CNBC tech news
Since the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022, Alphabet investors have been concerned that OpenAI could take market share from Google in search by giving consumers new ways to seek information online.
In October, OpenAI pushed further and launched “ChatGPT search,” positioning the company to better compete with search engines like Google, Microsoft‘s Bing and Perplexity. Microsoft has invested close to $14 billion in OpenAI, yet OpenAI’s products directly compete with Microsoft’s AI and search tools, such as Copilot and Bing.
Though the company’s flagship AI product Gemini has shown equal or better performance than top competition, it has been trying to grow its user base to compete with ChatGPT.
Google’s Gemini AI product has 35 million daily active users, according to a recent Google analysis revealed during an antitrust court session in April. That was compared to ChatGPT’s estimated 160 million daily active users, the analysis stated.
Google is testing using “AI Mode” on its most valuable real estate: It’s home webpage.
The Alphabet-owned company began testing home page designs internally in 2023, CNBC first reported. At the time, one potential design showed the home search page offering five different prompts for potential questions placed beneath the main search bar, replacing the current “I’m feeling lucky” bar. It also tested a small chat logo inside the far right end of the search bar.
Google in March announced it would be testing “AI Mode” for select users, however the description showed it would be testing the widget on Google’s results page — not its home page. In its March announcement, the company billed it as an early experiment in Labs to do “more advanced reasoning, thinking and multimodal capabilities so you can get help with even your toughest questions.”
The company this week launched an investment fund called “AI Futures Fund,” aimed at investing in AI startups. The company said eligible startups would have early access to its AI models.
Airbnb launched a redesigned app on Tuesday to showcase the company’s push to let travelers book services, like catering and personal training, at their home rentals.
The new-look app marks a new chapter for Airbnb to expand beyond home stays. The company has previously announced plans to invest $200 million to $250 million in a new business that it said it hopes will become a significant driver of future revenue growth.
“We now feel like we have such a strong foundation that we are capable of building and expanding,” Dave Stephenson, Airbnb’s business chief, told CNBC.
The company has previously tried to push beyond home rentals, but dialed back those efforts in 2020 to focus on its core business as the Covid pandemic shuttered borders and pummeled the travel industry.
Airbnb shares fell earlier this month after the company issued disappointing revenue guidance in its first-quarter earnings report, saying it saw some “softness” in travel from Canada to the U.S. toward the end of the quarter amid macroeconomic uncertainties.
“Until now, our app has really done one thing, which is it lets you book a home,” CEO Brian Chesky said on Airbnb’s May 1 earnings call. “We rebuilt the app from the ground up on a new technology stack. And now we can innovate faster and offer much more than homes.”
The Airbnb services tab.
Courtesy: Airbnb
The app’s new services tab offers 10 categories users can select and book during their rental. The offerings include services such as spa treatments, catered or prepared meals, or personal training sessions. These service offerings will debut in 260 cities worldwide. The company hopes this update will put Airbnb on par with offerings travelers often find at hotels and resorts, Stephenson said.
To ensure quality, Airbnb has added to its vetting team, which includes legal professionals, to assess certifications and licensing requirements, which vary from city to city, Stephenson said. Services vendors have 10 years of experience on average, the company said.
The app update will also include a homepage tab to emphasize Airbnb’s experiences business. The new tab divides experiences into 19 categories, including live performances, landmark tours, architecture tours and workouts, which are available in 650 cities. The company first launched experiences in 2016.
The experience tab will include activities and tours designed by Airbnb, called originals, such as a tour of Notre Dame with a restoration architect in Paris. The company is also partnering to offer experiences and services at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Stephenson said.
Airbnb also said it is updating its social features, allowing users to see other guests attending experiences. The new messages section will also enable photo and video sharing and come with updated privacy features for interacting with co-travelers later this year.
