The Genographic Project
The Genographic Project, launched on April 13 2005 by the National Geographic Society and IBM, is a five-year genetic anthropology study that aims to map historical human migration patterns by collecting and analyzing DNA samples from hundreds of thousands of people from around the world.
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Overview
Field researchers at 10 regional centers around the world collect DNA samples from indigenous populations. The project also sells self-testing kits: for US$100 anyone in the world can order a kit with which a mouth scraping (buccal swab) is obtained, analyzed and the DNA information placed on an Internet accessible database. The genetic markers on mitochondrial DNA (HVR1) and Y-chromosomes (12 microsatellite markers and haplogroup-defining SNPs) are used to trace the customer's distant ancestry, and each customer is provided with their genetic history. As of April 2009 more than 300,000 people had bought a test kit.
The Genographic Project is undertaking widespread consultation with indigenous groups from around the world. Genographic Project public participation kits are processed by Family Tree DNA (FTDNA) using the Arizona Research Labs at the University of Arizona.
The US$40M project is a privately-funded, not-for-profit collaboration between the National Geographic Society, IBM and the Waitt Family Foundation. Part of the proceeds from the sale of self-testing kits support the Genographic Project's ongoing DNA collection, but the majority are ploughed into a Legacy Fund to be spent on cultural preservation projects nominated by indigenous communities.
Team members
Prominent team members are:
- Spencer Wells, project director (National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence)
- Jin Li, principal investigator, East Asia
- Fabricio Santos, principal investigator, South America
- Jaume Bertranpetit, principal investigator, Western Europe and Central Europe
- Pierre Zalloua, principal investigator, Western Asia and Northern Africa
- Himla Soodyall, principal investigator, Sub-Saharan Africa
- Ajay Royyuru, head of computational biology, IBM
- Simon Longstaff, advisory board chair (director of the St James Ethics Centre)
- Meave Leakey, advisory board member
- Merritt Ruhlen, advisory board member
- Colin Renfrew, advisory board member
- Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza, advisory board member
- Wade Davis, advisory board member
Use of genetic markers
The Genographic Project relies on the identification of genetic markers. Most human DNA is a shuffled combination of genetic material passed down the generations. There are, however, parts of the human genome that pass unshuffled from parent to child. These segments of DNA are only changed by occasional mutations—random spelling mistakes in the genetic code. When these spelling mistakes are passed down to succeeding generations, they become markers of descent. Different populations have different genetic markers, and by following them through the generations scientists are able to identify the different branches of the human tree, all the way back to their common African root. Indigenous populations provide geographical and cultural context to the genetic markers in their DNA. These clues can help recreate past migration patterns.
See also
External links
Official sites
- Genographic Project, official site at National Geographic
- IBM Genographic Project, official site at IBM
Supporting participants
News articles
- Migration patterns of early Humans and the full size map
- "Finding the roots of modern humans", CNN, 14 April 2005.
- "'Genographic Project' aims to tell us where we came from", USA Today, 17 April 2005
- "Indigenous Peoples Oppose National Geographic", Indigenous Peoples Council on Biocolonialism, 13 April 2005.
- "Tracking the Truth", DB2 Magazine (IBM), information about IBM's role in the project. December 2006.
- Genographic Success Stories
- "Crusaders left genetic legacy", BBC News, 27 March 2008
- "Human Line 'Nearly split In Two", BBC News, 24 April 2008
License
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "The Genographic Project".
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