The genetic map of a perfectly healthy person
Baseline Study – Google's project to create a "genetic map"
absolutely healthy person
iXBT based on The Wall Street Journal – Google's New Moonshot Project: the Human BodyGoogle has long been engaged not only in information technology in its usual form.
Among the significant "third-party" projects of the search giant are Project Loon, the purchase of Boston Dynamics, engaged in robotics, investments in Virgin Galactic and much more.
The next direction in which the corporation of good wants to work will be genetics. The project is called Baseline Study ("Reference Point") and at the first stage will consist in collecting genetic and molecular information from 175 people. Naturally, this group will be anonymous. In the future, the number of participants in the project may reach several thousand. The goal of the project is to create a genetic "map" of an absolutely healthy person based on the data obtained. In the future, this may help to detect dangerous diseases in the early stages, and possibly even before their occurrence, by comparing the results of analyses of a particular person with this very "map" acting as a reference.
The leader of the Baseline Study was molecular biologist Andrew Conrad, who participated in the development of the first cheap HIV tests. The scientist joined the Google X team back in March 2013, creating a team of physiologists, biologists, ophthalmologists and other specialists totaling about 100 people.
Naturally, during the project, its database was replenished with information about various diseases. Google intends to use its computing power to find so-called biomarkers, which can later also help in the diagnosis of diseases. It is worth noting that, unlike most cases, the biomarkers that the project will collect information about will relate to destructive processes in the human body that are in the early stages.
It was also noted that all participants' data will be used only within the framework of the project. This will be monitored by special ethics committees. Moreover, at the end of the project, the data will be sent to Duke University and Stanford University, which will monitor the use of this information.
By the way, the participants' analyses will be collected by the clinics of these universities and only after processing and depersonalizing the data, they will be transferred to Google.
At the same time, the Google X Life Sciences team is developing special wearable devices like fitness trackers that will collect standard information (heart rate, oxygen level, and so on) from project participants. In addition, it is assumed that the "test subjects" will also wear "smart" contact lenses, which have already been developed by Google, to determine sugar levels.
By the way, the Baseline Study project does not pursue the goal of being implemented into a commercial structure.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru18.08.2014