Precision Health Research, a leading entity implementing the Singapore National Strategy for Precision Medicine, has partnered with genomic technology company Illumina to conduct a large-scale population study on diseases relevant to people in Asia.
The project, called SG100K, will sequence and analyze the genomes of about 100,000 participants across Singapore of Chinese, Malay and Indian descent, representing about 80% of the population across Asia. It is envisioned to be the most comprehensive accurate medical database in the region that provides a deep insight into Asian genomic diversity and Asian-specific diseases.
The three-year partnership will leverage Illumina’s capabilities in large-scale genomic sequencing to generate high-quality genomic data at an accelerated rate. Partners will also use enterprise-wide data exchange platforms to securely handle and share anonymised biosample sequencing data, as well as develop artificial intelligence approaches for genomics analysis.
“Our access to health data, management and storage will be comparable to international best practices and safeguards,” added John Chambers, PRECISE’s chief scientific officer and chief researcher of the SG100k project.
More research and clinical partners, such as medical schools and health clusters, will also be involved in the project.
WHY IT MATTERS
The SG100k will enable Singaporeans to better understand key social, environmental, life and genetic factors associated with diseases relevant to their population, such as diabetes, hypertension and cancer. The project will also enable the adoption of data-based approaches to improve population health and patient outcomes.
In addition, the project will benefit local sequencing companies in Singapore by providing them with training and certification for the use of Illumin genomic technology platforms, enabling them to gain access to markets at home and abroad. NovogeneAIT Genomics Singapore, a local next-generation sequencing service provider, has been hired by Illumina to perform genome sequencing of target SG100k participants.
GREATER TREND
Singapore’s Ministry of Health considers precision medicine as one of the approaches to solving health challenges. The country’s National Research Foundation, which funds PRECISE, has also identified precision medicine as a strategic goal of its 2025 plan for research, innovation and enterprise for the transformation and protection of Singaporean health.
In other related news, Google Cloud has partnered with the Garvan Institute for Medical Research in Sydney to build the largest genome data set in Australia - targeting the processing of some 14,000 genomes - to improve the diagnosis of rare genetic disorders.
ON RECORD
“Together, PRECISE and Illumina will work to advance Singapore’s biomedical technology industry by creating custom data analysis capabilities, establishing a large genomic data infrastructure and creating new career opportunities to support Singapore’s National Precision Medicine Program,” said Illumina Chief Commercial Officer Susan Tousi.
She also sees the project as a “breakthrough study” [that] it will serve as an important catalyst for the growth of precision medicine across Southeast Asia. “
PRECISE Executive Director Patrick Tan also noted that their partnership with Illumin is “an awareness of our shared ambitions and [a] a shared vision to improve patient outcomes and the health of Singapore’s population in the future through the adoption of genomics and data-based approaches in diseases relevant to Asia.