The 1000 Genomes Project Releases Data from Pilot Studies

The 1000 Genomes Project announced the release of its three proof of concept pilot studies whose success paves the way for the sequencing of 2,500 human genomes.  The 1000 Genomes Project is an international public-private consortium that aims to build the most comprehensive map of human genetic variation to date.  The amount of data generated by the Project is unprecedented in biomedical research and all data will be publicly available to researchers worldwide via an easily accessible database.  The genetic map will allow researchers to study the human genome more deeply in order to understand the genetic contribution to human diseases.

Of the 2,500 human genomes to be sequenced, 100 are Finns that have been recruited by FIMM.  The 100 Finnish genomes will give more insight into the distinct characteristics of the Finnish population, which have been recently studied at FIMM as part of The Finnish Gene Atlas project.  In addition, rare variants identified in the Finnish genomes will assist researchers in ascertaining disease-causing genetic factors in Finnish samples.  The Finnish participation in the project was initiated by the late Academician Leena Peltonen-Palotie and is currently headed by Professor Aarno Palotie of The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute (WTSI) and FIMM.  Before leaving to WTSI for her postdoc, Dr. Karola Rehnström collected the Finnish samples at FIMM.