DNA tests find our soulmate

The One a Netflix drama that centres around a geneticist who invents a new matchmaking service. It uses DNA to help people find their romantic and sexual partner.Dr Rebecca Webb said that a single strand of hair is all it takes to be matched with the one person you are genetically guaranteed to fall in love with. The moment you meet your pair, your one true love, nothing will be the same.

The One asks what would happen if we could use a database to match partners. It assumes if such technology existed it would be a wholly commercial enterprise that imagining a not-to-distant future where tech mediates dating, sex and relationships. Home DNA testing is now a massive business. It is estimated that by 2022 it will be worth over US$10 billion globally.

The testing companies have fuelled a cultural fascination with biology, in which genetic dispositions are conflated with identity. This is considered by some as the secret to understanding who we fundamentally are as people. kits have been sold to explore genetic and cultural history, to tailor diets, and to look at genetic health risks.Many companies like Canada’s DNA Romance and Instant Chemistry already claim to help people find love and sexual compatibility through tests. The dating app industry alone is projected to grow to 3.925 billion users worldwide by 2025.

People send in saliva swaps, and their DNA is tested to genotype human leukocyte antigens, also known as the major histocompatibility complex. These are important regulators of the immune system, which also impact our body odour. Genotyping identifies which variants of these genes each of us carry which determine who we are attracted to.