Science AMA Series: I'm Carl Zimmer, and I'm here to talk about my Game of Genomes.

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Greetings--My name is Carl Zimmer. I'm a contributing national correspondent for Stat, a new online publication about medicine and life sciences.

I'm also a columnist at the New York Times and a blogger at National Geographic. Also, I write books about biology (and one about science tattoos).

Just last week, I released the first part of a new, three part series called Game of Genomes.

The project, part of an effort to learn about all our genomes, is based on the sequencing of my own. But I didn’t want to just get a conventional genetic test from a doctor or send my spit to a genealogy lab. Instead, I got my hands on the raw data of my genome and enlisted two dozen scientists to guide me through its depths.

Along the way, I got to see how my unique DNA alters the shape of the molecules that make up my body. I found out that 613 of my genes come from Neanderthals, and discovered how they are influencing my health. I learned my genome is littered with broken genes and overrun by ancient viruses. I even discovered my health is protected by mutations that are the basis for new blockbuster drugs. In the process, I learned how much our genomes can reveal to us, but also how many mysteries they hold back.

You can find a link to the first two parts of the series here! (http://ift.tt/29yyp54)

I'll be back at 3 pm ET (12 noon PT) to answer your questions, ask me anything!

">Science AMA Series: I'm Carl Zimmer, and I'm here to talk about my Game of Genomes.