Project objective:
The goal of GoE is to create a unique database of at least 100,000 genomes. This is an important step within the larger 1+ Million Genomes initiative. The database is to represent the diverse populations of Europe, combining existing data with new data obtained by sequencing different national groups.
International cooperation:
The project involves 49 partners from 27 countries (26 EU and 1 non-EU country) and has received EUR 45 million in financial support, of which EUR 20 million comes from the European Commission under the Digital Europe programme.
The main assumptions of the project:
- Building a community of experts: Cooperating so as to create a reference genome for European populations.
- Genome sequencing research: Assessing the potential of sequencing for science and healthcare, including discovering new areas of the genome.
- Ethics and data security: The project will adhere to ethical and legal principles, ensuring data security and better healthcare for EU citizens.
- Integration with the Genomics Data Infrastructure (GDI): Linking GoE data with previous projects to ensure their interoperability.
- Assessing the project’s impact: Analysing how the project will contribute to understanding genetic diversity and improving genetic risk profiling.
Kick-off meeting:
The project’s kick-off meeting was held on 30–31 October of the current year in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
The project coordinator:
Prof. André Uitterlinden from the Erasmus MC | Erasmus University Rotterdam.
Polish units involved in the project:
- Biomedical Sciences – Biobank Łódź® at the University of Lodz that has been conducting population studies for over 10 years. Currently, it is conducting research Generation – A in Aleksandrów Łódzki, co-creating the Regional Centre of Digital Medicine and is also the operator of the Polish Node of the European Genome Archive.
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences which is an interdisciplinary scientific centre that combines research in the areas of chemistry, biology and information technology. The main research topics of the unit include the synthesis and studies of the structure and functions of nucleic acids and proteins, and their components.
Contact:
Błażej Marciniak: blazej.marciniak@biol.uni.lodz.pl