Reported by: Jiang Qinghua
Translated by: Qiao Xuechao
Edited by: D. Parker
Time: 2018/1/2
HIT recently celebrated the inauguration of a national key research plan on precision medicine—100,000 Chinese People Genome Project & plural groups reference database and analysis system in China. National funding is an estimated 89,850,000 yuan, to be allocated over an initial four year implementation stage. The project team will select 100,000 Chinese citizens for the research project focusing on omics research in genome, exposure and phenotype. This will provide for genome mutation mapping and multi-omics health mapping of Chinese people. The project will be of great significance in revealing specific genome mutations, frequency of mutation amongst Chinese and its impact. It will provide reference data for developing future personalized medical treatment and health management.
Several outstanding leaders from various scientific fields attended the initial meeting as consultant experts. Among them were Dai Tao, the deputy director of the Development Center for Medical Science and Technology of the National Health and Family Planning Commission of China, Jin Li, the vice-president of Fudan University, Li Peng, the director of the Life Sciences Department of the National Natural Science Foundation and vice president of Tsinghua University’s School of Life Sciences, Zhang Xuemin, the director of the Medical Sciences Department of the National Natural Science Foundation and director of the Academy of Military Medical Science Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Chen Runsheng, researcher at the Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Gu Dongfeng, the deputy director of the National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases and vice president of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Fuwai Hospital. Han Jiecai, vice president of HIT delivered the keynote address. More than 70 representatives from twenty institutions and biology information technology companies attended the meeting.
Wang Yadong is leader of this project. He is the principal scientist and president of HIT’s School of Computer Sciences and Technology and the Institute of Biological Information Technology. He presented an overview of the project to those in attendance. Five of the project directors, Jin Li, Chen Runsheng, Li Peng, Zhang Xuemin and Gu Dongfeng, gave presentations on implementation plans. They lauded the objectives, prospects, contents and plans of this project. They offered constructive suggestions and comments on the implementation, critical technology and scientific challenges which may arise as part of future follow-up work.
This genome project will be divided into three phases. In the first phase, the first step is to build a demonstration project, in which genome sequencing of 10,000 Chinese people and the corresponding phenotype group and exposure group data collection will be completed. This requires genome mapping and health mapping of 10,000 people. Also included in the first phase is developing, optimizing and verifying several sets of advanced genome mutation analysis workflow, formulating quality control specifications for several sets of genome groups, and phenotype group and exposure group data collection. Forming flawless technical systems and engineering operating systems for the large population-based genome project will be required. The second phase is extremely crucial. 50,000 people’s genome sequencing and phenotype data will be collected. Then, after integrating and analyzing the data, a genome map and health map for 60,000-people will be drawn. The technical systems and engineering operating systems will be continually optimized, accelerating the implementation of the project. The third phase is output. Genome sequencing and data collection analysis and integration and a 100,000-people genome map and health map will be completed. Technical systems and engineering operating systems will be further improved, providing critical reference for future scientific projects.
The launch meeting attracted extensive attention. It was reported by the CCTV News Broadcast, News in 30 Minutes, Eastern Times and other CCTV programs.
If you wish to view the reports here are their web locations:
http://m.news.cctv.com/2017/12/28/ARTIxOqCYZmydNwyXmckVW0h171228.shtml
http://news.cctv.com/2017/12/28/ARTIYknUaCB69b42jyTN3LYU171228.shtml
http://tv.cntv.cn/video/C10599/3502c00ca28b4fafa7140e55615cc2be
Speech by Dai Tao, Deputy Director of the Development Center for Medical Science and Technology National Health and Family Planning Commission of China
Speech by Han Jiecai, HIT vice-president.
Report given by Wang Yadong, leader of the project
Discussion with five academicians
Group photo
