Genome diversity

摘要

The consumer genetics firm 23andMe announced plans on 26 July to offer free genome scans to 10,000 African Americans in an effort to boost the ethnic diversity of its customers. The company, based in Mountain View, California, also hopes to determine whether genetic variants linked to diseases in other ethnic groups apply to African Americans. Ninety-six per cent of all such genome-wide association studies have been conducted in people of European ancestry (see Nature475,163-165; 2011), and the majority of 23andMe's current customers are also of European descent.