'Reference guide' for DNA being expanded
Scientists are building a much more diverse reference that they call a “pangenome," which so far includes the genetic material of 47 people from various places.
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Scientists are building a much more diverse reference that they call a “pangenome," which so far includes the genetic material of 47 people from various places.
For two decades, scientists have been comparing every person's full set of DNA they study to a template that relies mostly on genetic material from one man affectionately known as "the guy from Buffalo."
Scientists recently released a new accounting of the human genome. The research effort included information from people from around the world and could help ongoing efforts to identify genetic causes of diseases.
The new reference should help scientists understand more about what's normal and what's not for humans.
For two decades, scientists have been comparing every person's full set of DNA they study to a template that relies mostly on genetic material from one man affectionately known as "the guy from Buffalo." But they've long known that this template for comparison, or "reference genome," has serious limits because it doesn't reflect the spectrum…