Sequencing the Faroes
October 3, 2011 in NEWS by Suzanne Elvidge
The Faroe Islands government is offering genome sequencing to all of its inhabitants – this is the first nation to offer this to its entire population. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. The population is small (around 50,000) and is genetically fairly homogenous. Data from the project, known as FarGen, will support research and personalised medicine.
Source: Arne List
The project will start with 100 people selected at random, and should cover the entire population in around five years. FarGen ties into the Faroe Islands’ Genetic Biobank, which started in June 2006. It is co-ordinated by the Ministry of Health, and includes archival sampler from around 35,000 Faroese, as well as samples from the current population. The samples are linked with diagnostic, pharmacy, GP and hospital records going back to up to 100 years, and genealogy records for up to 400 years.
Genetic research projects in the Faroes have included searches for alleles in autism and genes linked to panic disorder.
