DNA dating coming to Boston

DNA dating, anyone?

Ready or not, a Florida-based dating service says it's coming to the Greater Boston market, and what makes ScientificMatch.com different from garden-variety dating services is that it determines people's compatibility partly based on DNA samples, the company claims.

One DNA researcher contacted by the Globe said, "Very interesting," though he wanted to know much more about ScientificMatch.com's methodology, but another researcher expressed extreme skepticisim.

In any case, ScientificMatch.com notes on its website, "Our patent-pending technology uses your DNA to find others with a natural odour you'll love, with whom you'd have healthier children, a more satisfying sex life, and more."

Using DNA to sniff out a would-be beloved with beguiling body odor doesn't come cheap; the online service will charge $1,995.95 for a one-year membership, but that fee also includes "a values-matching system, for further compatibility on a psychological level, and background checks for all members."

According to a press release issued by ScientificMatch.com, it's a one-employee company headed by Eric Holzle, a Northeastern University graduate.

In a brief telephone interview, Holzle noted that ScientificMatch.com's website cites a number of sources that confirms the company's claims, and he added, "Every source cited on the website meets the gold standard of scientific research."

One researcher expressing doubts was Bruce A. Jackson of the University of Massachusetts at Lowell's biomedical engineering and biotechnology program and a co-director of the African-American DNA Roots Project.

"With respect to the DNA testing dating service, it's undiluted nonsense," Jackson wrote in an e-mail. "Please inform those who would partake of same that I own a large orange bridge that spans San Francisco Bay that I am selling at a holiday discount."
(By Chris Reidy, Globe staff)