Does DNA-based Matchmaking Work?

Dating. It is a game that we are programmed to carry out. Natural selection means that we want to mate to produce children — to carry our genes forward to future generations. And the first step is usually finding a suitable mate. In recent years dating sites have risen in prominence as our lifestyle changes and technology open different avenues for us to use.

Now, DNA matching is offered as a route to your perfect mate. With the dating industry worth over 100 million pounds in the UK alone — can science help narrow your search. Let’s take a look behind the news and see how science, with the help of chromatography, could be the key to finding a partner to spend your life with.

It's in our deoxyribonucleic acid

Instant Chemistry, a company based in Toronto, is offering a relationship service based on DNA. After registering for the service, a kit is sent in which you supply a sample of saliva for testing. After returning the sample, the DNA is extracted from your spit and analysed for the biomarkers major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and a serotonin uptake transporter — corresponding to attractiveness and happiness.

Then using an online psychological profile and the biomarkers, the company determines your compatibility with a partner in a database of people looking for the perfect match. But what is the background to DNA matching and is there any merit in the science?

Sweaty T-Shirt Study

In 1995 a Swiss researcher Claus Wedekind conducted a study into sexual attraction. Wedekind asked a group of male students to wear the same t-shirt continuously for two days. The t-shirts were then placed in boxes and a group of female students were asked to smell the shirts and to identify which they found most attractive.

The study found that the females were attracted to the males who had a different MHC make-up to their own. MHC genes are involved in our immune system’s response to invasion by foreign bodies — having a wider range of genes that respond to foreign bodies offers us more protection. Increasing the range of MHC genes is beneficial to our offspring — hence we look for mates with different MHC genes to ours.

Skin — The Largest Organ

Skin is our largest organ, contributing between 10 – 15% of our bodyweight, and research has shown that the VOCs coming from the skin contain information about us, including our medical condition — medical assistance dogs are trained to recognise the changing bodily smells of their owners. A discussion about the role of VOC analysis can be found in the article Volatile Organic Compound Determination in Health-related Research: A Review.

Chromatography is one of the key tools used to identify the volatile organic compounds that are found in our skin, and it is from the skin that that scents and compounds that might attract a mate are emitted.

So the next time you’re going on a date — do you shower or not?