SNPs are like minor variations, sort of typo errors Dr Shabnam Das Kar

“SNPs Are Like Minor Variations — Sort of Typo Errors” — Dr. Shabnam Das Kar

In this conversation, Dr. Shabnam Das Kar — a leading geneticist and genomics expert — explains the concept of SNPs (Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms) in plain language, and why they matter for personalised health.

What Is a SNP?

A SNP (pronounced “snip”) is a Single Nucleotide Polymorphism — a variation at a single position in the DNA sequence among individuals. Think of your DNA as a very long book written in a four-letter alphabet (A, T, G, C). A SNP is like a typo in that book — a single letter that differs between individuals. For example, one person might have an “A” at a particular position in their genome, while another person has a “G”.

SNPs are the most common type of genetic variation in humans. There are approximately 4–5 million SNPs in any individual’s genome compared to the reference human genome. Most SNPs have no effect on health or development. But some SNPs influence disease risk, drug response, physical traits, and ancestry.

Why SNPs Matter for Health

• Disease risk — SNPs in or near genes involved in disease pathways can increase or decrease the risk of conditions like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease

• Drug response — SNPs in drug-metabolising enzyme genes (CYP2D6, CYP2C19, etc.) determine how quickly your body processes medications, affecting efficacy and side effect risk

• Nutrition and fitness — SNPs influence how your body metabolises macronutrients, vitamins, and minerals, and how you respond to different types of exercise

• Ancestry — SNP patterns differ between populations, enabling ancestry analysis and population genetics research

How MapmyGenome Uses SNPs

Genomepatri by MapmyGenome analyses hundreds of thousands of SNPs across your genome to generate a comprehensive personalised health report covering 100+ health conditions, nutrition, fitness, drug response, and ancestry traits.