A world-first ‘epigenetic map’ of the human genome will be used to help better understand the root causes of diseases like cancer, dementia and heart disease. It is hoped the technology could lead to breakthroughs in new diagnoses and treatments.
The new research has been made possible thanks to the government’s new strategic partnership with Oxford Nanopore Technologies, UK Biobank, NHS England and Genomics England.
Epigenetics is the emerging study of how inheritable traits can emerge and change without actual changes in our DNA code, but instead as a result of modifications that change how our genes are expressed.
Oxford Nanopore Technologies will use its technology to conduct genetic sequencing of 50,000 samples from UK Biobank - the world’s most advanced source of data for health research.
Science and technology secretary Peter Kyle said: "Diseases like cancer and dementia have brought heartache to every family in the country.
"By bringing government, the NHS, researchers and leading businesses together in partnership, we can transform our understanding of these conditions.
"The progress they make will ultimately save lives, and keep families together for longer."
Professor Naomi Allen, chief scientist, UK Biobank, said: "Our lifestyle and environment can cause chemical changes to our DNA, which can contribute to disease by altering the ways genes tell the body which proteins to produce. By understanding these chemical changes, known as epigenetics, we can learn why some people fall ill and others don’t, even when they share the same genes.
"Right now, researchers only have small amounts of epigenetic data to study – this project will create a dataset unlike anything else in the world. It is orders of magnitude bigger, and because of the technology, the data will be much more detailed. Combining epigenetic data with the existing genetic, imaging, proteomic and lifestyle data that UK Biobank holds for our participants, will lead to a much better understanding of how diseases develop in mid- to old-age."
