Genetic Genealogy's Next Breakthrough: Genealogical Bioinformatics with Arun Konanur
Branching Out Genealogy PodcastShow Notes
In this episode of the Branching Out Genealogy Podcast, Elizabeth Swanay O'Neal, CG®, and Tami Osmer Mize sit down with Arun Konanur, founder of Discovering New Ancestors and a leader in the emerging field of genealogical bioinformatics. Arun has filed five patents for processes that make DNA match data readable by computers, and he's the recipient of a 2026 Continuing Genealogical Research Grant from the American Society of Genealogists, the first time that grant has been awarded for work in genetic genealogy.We talk about why most DNA tools stop working below 40 cM, the difference between the generative AI you use every day and the expert systems Arun builds, how to tell a real shared match from a misleading one, and how he used the match lists of 18 cousins to find his third great-grandmother's sister. Best of all, his tools are free for personal use.Plus: why Tami is loving tables, Elizabeth's pick of a genealogy book that asks more of us than another checklist, a DAR milestone, and a double dose of tea on the MyHeritage layoffs and the planned closure of National Archives facilities in Chicago and San Bruno.TIMESTAMPS00:00:00 - Intro00:03:43 - What We're Loving: Tables (Tami) 00:06:25 - What We're Loving: Ancestoring by Darcie Hind Posz (Elizabeth)00:09:10 - Congratulations to Tami, new DAR member 00:11:06 - Interview with Arun Konanur00:14:07 - What is genealogical bioinformatics? 00:22:05 - Favorable and unfavorable shared match trios 00:27:19 - Can these tools hallucinate? 00:33:25 - Getting started: gathering your cousins' DNA results 00:38:22 - Finding a third great-grandmother's sister 00:44:31 - Trying the free tools at Discovering New Ancestors 00:52:00 - Do all your matches need to test at the same company? 00:56:09 - The ASG Continuing Genealogical Research Grant 01:00:51 - Where to learn more: Arun's October 2026 UGA talk 01:10:54 - Teatime01:11:18 - MyHeritage layoffs and AI's ripple effect on tech jobs (Tami) 01:14:07 - National Archives closures and what you can do (Elizabeth) 01:23:24 - Outro___________________LINKS * Discovering New Ancestors (Arun Konanur): http://discoveringnewancestors.com/* Bioinformatics landing page (all five processes): http://discoveringnewancestors.com/our-services/bioinformatics/* CMA free tool and quick start guide: http://discoveringnewancestors.com/cma/Genealogical Bioinformatics Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1144461196603400* ASG 2026 Continuing Genealogical Research Grants: https://fasg.org/asg-awards-2026-continuing-genealogical-research-grants/* Arun's patent filings on Google Patents: https://patents.google.com/?inventor=Arun+Konanur* Utah Genealogical Association, Genealogy ProTalk series: https://ugagenealogy.org/genealogy-protalk/* GEDmatch: https://www.gedmatch.com/* Ancestoring: Understanding Records, Family, and Ourselves by Darcie Hind Posz: https://link.amazon/B0em3Y8WT (affiliate link)* Daughters of the American Revolution: https://www.dar.org/* MyHeritage layoffs (Globes): https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-myheritage-to-lay-off-15-of-workforce-1001548761* Save Our National Archives (SONA): https://www.saveournationalarchives.org/* Change.org petition, Chicago and San Francisco: https://www.change.org/p/stop-the-closure-of-the-national-archives-in-chicago-and-san-francisco* Chicago Area Archivists action page: https://www.chicagoarchivists.org/NARAClosuresAction* Find your member of Congress: https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative* ConferenceKeeper: https://conferencekeeper.org/* Heart of the Family: https://thefamilyheart.com___________________The Branching Out Genealogy Podcast is produced by Elizabeth Swanay O'Neal, CG®, and Tami Osmer Mize. All original music by Elizabeth Swanay O'Neal with the assistance of AI.This episode is sponsored by Vivid-Pix. All product opinions are our own. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
More from Branching Out Genealogy Podcast
In this episode of the Branching Out Genealogy Podcast, Elizabeth Swanay O'Neal, CG®, and Tami Osmer Mize sit down with Judy Nimer Muhn. Judy, the owner of Lineage Journeys and a professional genealogist since 1993, specializes in French-Canadian, Acadian, Native American, and Scottish research. Judy has been researching her own family since she was 12 years old, and she's also the Awards Committee chair for the National Genealogical Society.We talk about the strange encounter that pushed Judy toward researching the science behind genealogical intuition, why she thinks the Genealogical Proof Standard is missing a third pillar alongside paper trails and DNA, and how epigenetics research is starting to back up what genealogists have felt for years.Plus: a Microsoft Copilot tip for transcribing old family letters, a new podcast recommendation, and some "tea" on DNA testing and a very silly viral news story.Note: the interview with Judy was recorded in November 2025; the rest of the episode was recorded in June 2026. We apologize for the delay in getting Judy's interview out to you.You may also notice brief, random flashes in Tami's video during the episode. We apologize for the glitch and appreciate your patience!TIMESTAMPS00:00:00 - Welcome00:01:58 - In today's episode: introducing Judy Nimer Muhn00:03:12 - Theme song00:03:39 - What we're loving: Microsoft Copilot for transcribing handwritten letters (Tami)00:08:06 - What we're loving: Artifacts podcast (Elizabeth)00:12:16 - Sponsor break00:15:56 - Interview with Judy Nimer Muhn begins00:16:47 - Starting genealogy research at age 1200:22:14 - Specializing across French-Canadian, Acadian, Scottish, and Native American research00:30:58 - Researching in Europe in the 1990s00:33:02 - What's next: a book contract and fur trade research00:35:17 - Ancestors Calling: the concept begins00:42:58 - The science behind it: quantum physics and epigenetics01:07:57 - Chairing the NGS Awards Committee01:11:28 - Judy's advice: "Keep listening!"01:12:16 - Teatime01:12:19 - DNA testing and medical history01:14:39 - The CIA alien DNA viral story01:20:33 - Closing and outroLINKS* Lineage Journeys (Judy Nimer Muhn): https://lineagejourneys.com* Ancestors Calling: Science, Synchronicity and Sources (Judy's blog post on the methodology): https://lineagejourneys.com/2026/04/15/ancestors-calling-science-synchronicity-and-sources/* NGS Awards and Competitions: https://www.ngsgenealogy.org/awards-competitions/* Artifacts: Stories from the Emotional History of the Internet: https://artifactspodcast.com* California AG lawsuit against 23andMe (HIPAA Journal): https://www.hipaajournal.com/california-ag-23andme-data-breach-lawsuit/* New York Post: CIA alien DNA claim: https://nypost.com/2026/05/26/lifestyle/cia-used-dna-from-23andme-ancestry-to-hunt-aliens-whistleblower-claims/Vivid-Pix: https://www.vivid-pix.com/ref/103*****The Branching Out Genealogy Podcast is produced by Elizabeth Swanay O'Neal, Certified Genealogist®, and Tami Osmer Mize. Elizabeth is the author of the family history lifestyle website Heart of the Family (thefamilyheart.com). Tami is the manager of the National Genealogical Society's calendar of events website ConferenceKeeper.org.
Every family genealogist knows the feeling: the boxes get handed to you. And sometimes what's inside leaves you speechless. In this short bonus from the cutting room floor, Tami opens up about the blond ponytail she found tucked away, snipped from her great-aunt's head over a century ago, when the young woman was a teenager. What do you do with a century-old ponytail? You don't throw it out. You pass it to the next generation, whether they want it or not!A quick, unscripted continuation of the conversation that kept going after the recording light went off during our episode with Daniel Horowitz.
Daniel Horowitz has been the Chief Genealogist at MyHeritage for nearly two decades. He started his genealogy journey at age 13 in Venezuela, got bitten by the genealogy bug, moved to Israel, met MyHeritage CEO Gilad Japhet at a conference in New York, and the rest is... family history. These days, Daniel travels the world giving lectures, connecting local genealogy societies with the resources they need, and serving as the connective tissue between MyHeritage and the genealogy community.We caught up with Daniel at RootsTech 2026, where MyHeritage came with a lot to talk about!***In this episode, Elizabeth Swanay O'Neal, CG®, and Tami Osmer Mize sit down with Daniel Horowitz to get the full rundown on everything MyHeritage launched at RootsTech 2026, including full genome DNA testing, Scribe AI (the feature that made a woman cry — in a good way — in front of a computer at the MyHeritage booth), Family Graph, Country Flags, Gaia, and a teaser about an upcoming records collection Daniel absolutely refused to name.Plus: we're riding the wave of a new "old" trend and discussing the War of 1812 pension files (which are almost fully digitized and free to access on Fold3). During Teatime, we're spilling some very "unsweet" tea about Massachusetts Bill H.5377 — a budget bill that could slam the door on access to vital records if genealogists don't push back.IN THIS EPISODE[00:01:38] In today's episode[00:02:41] Opening[00:03:00] What we're loving (genealogists have been doing it for years)[00:09:37] War of 1812 pension files on Fold3 (free!)[00:10:24] Sponsor Break: Vivid-Pix[00:11:03] Interview: Daniel Horowitz, Chief Genealogist, MyHeritage[00:14:23] MyHeritage full genome DNA testing[00:16:00] Scribe AI: transcription, translation, and historical context[00:17:53] Family Graph: the AI-powered timeline graphic[00:18:37] The AI transition video from the keynote[00:21:07] Gaia: your AI genealogy research assistant (and why it stays in your tree)[00:26:12] Country Flags: a visual take on your family tree[00:29:31] What's coming next at MyHeritage[00:31:04] How to become a MyHeritage Friend[00:33:00] Sweet tea: Evidentia 3+ is out (and existing users get it free)[00:33:37] Unsweet tea: Massachusetts H.5377 and what's at stake for vital records access[00:39:02] What you can do about H.5377[00:39:16] Closing and OutroLINKSMyHeritage: https://www.myheritage.com Gilad Japhet's RootsTech 2026 Session (video): https://blog.myheritage.com/2026/03/myheritage-founder-and-ceo-gilad-japhet-at-rootstech-2026/MyHeritage RootsTech 2026 Roundup: https://blog.myheritage.com/2026/03/rootstech-2026-roundup/War of 1812 Pension Files on Fold3 (free): https://www.fold3.com/publication/761/us-war-of-1812-pension-files-1812-1815Evidentia Software: https://evidentiasoftware.com/APG letter opposing Massachusetts H.5377: https://www.apgen.org/docs/APG_Massachusetts_Budget_Letter_4_May_2026.pdfMassachusetts Genealogical Council Call to Action: https://www.massgencouncil.org/post/act-now-gov-healey-s-supplemental-budget-contains-both-good-and-very-bad-news-for-genealogistsFind your Massachusetts state legislator: https://malegislature.gov/Search/FindMyLegislator
Kate Guanci says she looks at family history upside down. After half an hour with her at RootsTech 2026, we kind of think she's onto something.*** In this episode of the Branching Out Genealogy Podcast, Elizabeth Swanay O'Neal, CG®, and Tami Osmer Mize sit down with Kate Guanci, founder and CEO of Archoral, in an interview recorded live at RootsTech 2026.
Explore how photo restoration, memory care, and family history intersect in this inspiring conversation with Rick Voight, CEO of Vivid-Pix. Learn how personal photos can boost cognitive health, strengthen storytelling, and help families preserve their legacy. ___________________________________