Genome Project Enters Next Phase
Having collected gene samples from about 50,000 Estonians, the Genome Center at the University of Tartu is now taking another important step forward.
The next stage of the research project is to obtain new samples from returning donors. By comparing health changes that have taken place in five years, researchers will hopefully be able to pinpoint which gene is related to a given disease, reported ETV.
The Genome Center mailed 2,000 letters to previous donors, requesting new samples. Researchers hope to gather 10,000 repeat samples in the next five years.
"If [a donor] comes in and we discover a new disease that he or she did not have before - high blood pressure or ulcers - then we will go back and compare the new blood sample to see what changes have occured. And perhaps the sample from five years ago already had some kind of sign hinting that he or she [was prone to this disease],“ the organization's director, Andres Metspalu, said.
Ott Tammik