to share healthy microbiomes to those in need from initial studies on genetic factors in eases; genomic information privacy; commu-
— including migrants. schizophrenia and bipolar disorder could nication about prenatal and newborn genomic
come out as early as next year. testing results; and the impact of genomics in
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The VA claims its genome database will
be the largest of its kind and a key to
THE MICROBIOME AND HEALTHCARE
American Indian and Alaskan Native
communities.
predicting diseases and finding cures. Think about it: these studies and projects could
Creating these large databases of genetic impact public policy and guidelines for the
information can help change medical research. future.
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STUDIES ON THE ETHICAL, LEGAL
AND SOCIAL IMPACT OF GENOMIC
INFORMATION DATA FARMING AND AGRICULTURE
This May, the National Institutes of Health “on-farm” decisions by combining large data
Healthcare is always changing. Quality of life,
long-term care, and research are all driven by
data that helps users learn as much as possible
— about a disease, a patient, a cure.
One project that sparked interest and is quite
timely is how immigrants currently in the U.S.
are helping scientists to understand how “gut
bacteria” can be contagious. A graduate student
THE HUMAN GENOME PROJECT
AT THE VA
in computational biology at the University of The Human Genome Project was an
Minnesota is gathering data about the human international, scientific research project
microbiome: the bacteria that live all over our developed to determine the sequence of
bodies, but mostly within our digestive tract. nucleotide base pairs that make up human
The Human Microbiome Project, launched in
2008 by the U.S. National Institutes of Health,
has been studying this topic for years, but
DNA, and to identify and map all of the genes
of the human genome from both a physical and
a functional standpoint. Pretty big project!
From sharing information in agriculture and
biodiversity domains to being able to make
not with immigrants and / or refugee The main goals were to provide an accurate issued four new grants to support research on sources with advanced crop and environmental
communities. People who live in different parts sequence of the three-billion DNA ba se pairs the ethical, legal, and societal questions raised models, farmers are able to increase
of the world have different guts, and there is that make up the human genome, and also to by genome research and the availability of its production, cut costs, and make plans for
a theory developing that one can “catch” a bad find all of the estimated 20,000 to 25,000 information. future planting.
microbiome. Apparently, when a person moves, human genes. By doing this, researchers can Researchers at interdisciplinary centers will Complex data and crop health variability are
their microbiome can change and can change to use DNA information to help develop new ways receive funding through the National Human classic examples of Big Data sources used in the
match those of the people they are surrounded to treat, maybe cure, and even prevent disease. Genome Research Institute’s (NHGRI) Centers agro-produce industry. Big Data in agriculture
by. So, if you go to a place where the general The Million Veteran Program is one of several of Excellence in Ethical, Legal and Social is offering farmers a way to make better
microbiome is not healthy, you could “catch” projects in the world aiming to collect human Implications Research (CEER) program to study business decisions by providing smart tools
that microbiome. genetic data and to store one million veterans’ the potential societal implications of genomic to help their development and production
information and research. The projects will processes. Some of the big-name farms are
examine the use of genomic information in the now “mapped” with GPS coordinates so that
prevention and treatment of infectious dis- farmers can monitor, in real time, where seeds
But don’t put off that vacation to a far-off land
just yet; research is still ongoing in this area.
There’s a chance that scientists may find a way
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CURRENT SPRING 2017
genomes by 2020. By collecting blood from
veterans, the VA is using data in studies ranging
from mental health to heart disease. Results
Stronger Together
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