An electronic system, method, and service is disclosed for storing
subjects' genomic and medical information on portable storage devices to
be used for private disease diagnosis and for subject-controlled
participation in research queries. Using a computer with network access,
subjects conduct private disease diagnosis and disease forecasting by
downloading genetic queries and running the queries against private
genomic data stored on the portable storage device. When participating in
a subject-controlled research program, subjects are provided the
capability of joining a peer-to-peer network and the choice to decide
whether to participate in queries submitted by researchers over the
network to subject network members. When subject network members decide
to participate in a submitted query, they download the query, run the
query against their private data, and anonymously submit the results back
to the network.