Singapore is embarking on an ambitious project to sequence the genomes of 10,000 individuals from its diverse population, with the goal of better understanding the genetic variations among the country’s Chinese, Malay, and Indian communities. This effort is part of the National Precision Medicine (NPM) programme, led by Precision Health Research, Singapore (PRECISE).
The project, which began in mid-2024 and will run for about a year, involves a partnership with Oxford Nanopore Technologies. Using their PromethION 48 devices, researchers will gather detailed genomic data that could provide new insights into the genetic makeup of Singapore’s population. This data is expected to be particularly valuable in studying complex diseases and developing more personalized healthcare treatments.
Unlike traditional sequencing methods, the technology used in this project can sequence both short and long fragments of DNA and RNA, while also detecting key biomarkers like DNA methylation. This allows for a more complete understanding of genetic variations, which is crucial for studying the links between genetics and diseases.
Oxford Nanopore has been expanding its operations in Singapore, seeing the city-state as an important hub for their activities in the Asia Pacific region. They’ve recently increased their lab facilities and partnered with UPS Healthcare to improve the distribution of their sequencing technology throughout the region.
Gordon Sanghera, CEO of Oxford Nanopore, highlighted the significance of this project, noting that it could make Singapore a key player in global genomic research. The project is also supported by other partners like NovogeneAIT, reflecting a collaborative approach to advancing genetic research and precision medicine.