Google has financially backed a project from a Harvard University scientist to unlock the secrets of common diseases by decoding the DNA of 100,000 people.
The project will be the largest human genome sequencing project in the world, and may lead to new cures for disease.
According to Bloomberg, the project will begin in the U.S., U.K., China and Sweden this year, initially deciphering the genetic makeup of 1,000 people at a cost of $50 million.
The new investment takes Google further towards its quest to index any and everything on the planet, having invested in genetics testing company 23andme last year, and more recently preparing Google Health for launch.
23andMe, the startup widely known as the company whose founder is the wife of Sergey Brin, has plans to make the human genome searchable.Brin, along with Google, gave 23andMe $3.9 million as part of a series A in May of 2007.
The company, cleverly named after the number of paired chromosomes in humans, wants to help you understand what your genes mean by indexing them and highlighting significant findings. 23andMe will allow its clients/users to better understand their ancestry, genealogy, and inherited traits. For researchers and scientist, the company could provide invaluable amounts of neatly categorized and easily searchable data.
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