Project to map DNA of 100,000 people in S'pore at halfway mark

The nation’s ambitious quest to map the DNA of 100,000 people has reached the halfway mark in just over a year, with about 50,000 people’s genomes – or complete set of genes – sequenced so far.

- Shabana Begum

This is a significant step towards the larger goal of mapping the genes of up to one million people by 2027.

As at mid-December 2023, about 80,000 Singapore residents between the ages of 21 and 84 had stepped forward to have a comprehensive health check done and their biological samples – including blood, urine and saliva – collected to help the country build a large population health database.

The participants’ blood samples are anonymised, packed in dry ice and sent for DNA extraction before DNA sequencing is done.

The genomic data is analysed and encrypted before it is deposited into a secure database developed by genomics technology firm Illumina.

Once all 100,000 participants’ genes have been mapped, the database is set to be one of Asia’s leading reference genome databases, as Singapore’s ethnic diversity captures more than 80 per cent of Asia’s diversity.

The collection of 100,000 genome sequences will comprise 20 petabytes, or 20 million GB, of data – equivalent to about 200,000 high-definition movies.

The project, Precise-SG100K, which started in late 2022, is coordinated by the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine.

Precise stands for Precision Health Research, Singapore, which is an entity set up to coordinate the second phase of the 10-year National Precision Medicine programme. SG100K, a comprehensive population health study of 100,000 Singaporeans, is a key partner of the programme.