Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation

The Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation (SMGF) was an independent DNA and genealogical research institution with the goal of demonstrating how the peoples of the world are related. SMGF collected DNA samples and genealogical information from individuals across the globe to establish these connections.

SMGF originated in 1999 and was inspired by several conversations between inventor and philanthropist James LeVoy Sorenson and Brigham Young University professor Dr. Scott Woodward. Mr. Sorenson envisioned the development of a genetic-genealogical blueprint of all humankind. This blueprint, as developed by Dr. Woodward, would show how closely humans are related to one another, demonstrating the familial relationships between unique individuals. The collection of DNA samples and associated family pedigrees began in 2000, beginning first with Brigham Young University students, and quickly branching outside of Utah, then to the rest of the world.

In 2003, SMGF moved its operations from the Brigham Young University campus to Salt Lake City. SMGF also outsourced all of its laboratory work to Sorenson Genomics, freeing researchers to create a publicly available online repository. This repository was known as the Sorenson Database.

SMGF collected more than 100,000 DNA samples and familial pedigrees from donors around the world, all of which were available in the Sorenson Database. This database was acquired by Ancestry.com prior to its launch of AncestryDNA when they purchased GeneTree in 2012. Genetree was SMGF's commercial arm.

The Sorenson Database contained more than 100,000 DNA samples and familial pedigrees, encompassing 2.8 million genealogical records and 2.4 million genotypes.

The Sorenson Database matched genetic information with familial surnames. A person searching through the database was able to find both genetic and genealogical matches, but could search using either DNA haplotypes or familial surname. The average family pedigree contained six generations of pedigree information (more than 150 years) with over 6 million genetically linked ancestors.

There were only two areas for individuals to search within the Sorenson Database, a Y chromosome database and a database. The Y-DNA database allowed males to search their direct paternal line; the mtDNA database allowed both males and females search their direct maternal line. According to ISOGG.org, Sorenson "also had large X chromosome and autosomal STR databases, but these databases were never made publicly available."

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