More than 275 million never-before-seen gene variants uncovered in US population
Scientists have uncovered more than 275 million previously unknown gene variants in the U.S. population, thanks to an ongoing project that aims to increase the diversity of the human genetic data available in medical research. The newfound variants were discovered in an analysis of nearly 250,000 complete genome sequences from more than 413,000 people, 77% of whom belonged to groups that have historically been underrepresented in biomedical research. These include, for example, people in minority ethnic and racial groups, people living in poverty, and those over age 65. The participants volunteered to have samples of their DNA taken and analyzed as part of the All of Us Research Program , a National Institutes of Health project intended to collect and study data on more than 1 million people in the U.S. Its goal is to provide a better representation of the demographic makeup of the country than genetic analyses based mostly on white people have historically done. Th...