Google decided to do genetic research
Google representatives met with representatives of the organization Genomic England, which is engaged in a project to sequence the genome of 100 thousand Britons. This was reported by British bioethics expert Edward Hawkins. According to sources, the company wants to connect its startup DeepMind to the project.
Genomic England was founded by the Ministry of Health and will sequence the genome of more than 100,000 Britons in the coming years. According to scientists, the project will help to better study cancer and other dangerous diseases and find effective methods of treatment.
According to bioethicist Edward Hawkins, representatives of Google and Genomic England have already held talks. The Internet giant has offered Genomic England to conclude a contract with its DeepMind laboratory, which is headquartered in the UK. Thanks to DeepMind algorithms, it is possible to conduct accelerated analysis of the human genome and promptly develop new drugs.
DeepMind specializes in artificial intelligence and develops smart algorithms, including for games and cooperation with humans. Artificial intelligence is also used to improve the efficiency of power systems.
But DeepMind is also showing great interest in medicine. The startup has been working with the UK Ministry of Health for several years. In 2015, the company signed a cooperation agreement with the National Health Service of Great Britain (NHS). As part of this agreement, the NHS gave DeepMind the data of 1.6 million patients to develop an application for people with kidney failure. Then it became known that the patients themselves did not know about the transfer of their data, but among them there was information about drug overdoses, abortions, the presence of HIV.
What Google and Genomic England have agreed on is still unknown. But according to Business Insider (Google may get access to genetic data for patients — here's why that might be a problem) with reference to the British Ministry of Health, the genome sequencing project will be expanded. In the future, it is planned to create a single national DNA database.
The British authorities believe that DNA testing should eventually become a common medical practice. Recently, the UK's chief medical officer, Professor Dame Sally Davis, suggested that the NHS make genome sequencing mandatory for all people who have been diagnosed with cancer. To do this, it is proposed to open laboratories for the study of DNA throughout the country.
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11.07.2017