People of African ancestry are poorly represented in genetic studies. This effort will change that
LA TimesOutput from a DNA sequencer at the National Human Genome Research Institute. Scientists are setting out to collect genetic material from 500,000 people of African ancestry to create what they believe will be the world’s largest database of genomic information from the population. The hope is to build a new “reference genome” — a template to compare to full sets of DNA from individuals — and better understand genetic variants that affect Black people. Organizers said there’s a clear need for the project, pointing to research showing that less than 2% of genetic information being studied today comes from people of African ancestry. In May, scientists published four studies about building a diverse reference genome that they call a “pangenome.” At that point, it included the genetic material of 24 people of African ancestry, 16 from the Americas and the Caribbean, six from Asia and one from Europe.
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10,000 Indian genomes to be sequenced by year-end
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