How does your genetic code define who you are?
Geneticists have known that most of the differences between individuals stem from differences in their DNA sequence, otherwise known as genetic variants. Therefore, in the past two decades, researchers have conducted thousands of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to identify genetic variants associated with various complex traits. While GWAS have led to instrumental discoveries in human health, they have largely focused on individuals of European ancestry, and, because of this, many findings have not benefited other populations across the globe.
Many of us want to better understand our health, discover our ancestry, and participate in important research that may help others. At Nebula Genomics, we believe that genomics is the key to achieving these goals. The more diverse our database, the better equipped we will be to understand who we all are. With this in mind, we are pleased to announce that we are now offering our whole-genome sequencing service in 187 countries, including most countries within Europe and Asia, with the objective of making the benefits of genomics accessible to more people and creating more diverse genomic datasets (Figure 1).
Regions where our service is available now:
Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, Colombia, Comoros, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Croatia, Curaçao, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Falkland Islands, Faroe Islands, Fiji, Finland, French Guiana, French Polynesia, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Ireland, Isle of Man, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macao, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Martinique, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Montserrat, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, Norfolk Island, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Palestinian Territory, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Pitcairn, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of the Congo, Reunion, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Helena, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Martin, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Svalbard and Jan Mayen, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, United States Minor Outlying Islands, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vatican, Venezuela, Vietnam, Western Sahara, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Regions we will be launching in soon: People’s Republic of China
The Growth Of Genomic Data
Upon completion of the Human Genome Project in 2003, it became increasingly clear that there was no single human genome that could explain the genetic code of everyone. This has led to large-scale government-sponsored initiatives to sequence hundreds of thousands of genomes. The 1000 Genomes Project is an excellent example of an international research effort that ran from 2008 to 2015, which enabled the sequencing of ~2,500 individuals from 26 populations across the globe. This became the first comprehensive, open-access database of global genetic variation that is improving our understanding of how genomic differences across populations contribute to differences in health and disease prevalence. Additional, large-scale sequencing efforts of non-European population-specific cohorts are underway, including the Population Architecture Using Genomics and Epidemiology (PAGE), Human Heredity and Health in Africa, Genome Aggregation Database, and Centers for Common Disease Genomics projects.
However, the current model of government-sponsored sequencing initiatives requires a tremendous amount of oversight. These initiatives require embedding genetics experts into communities directly to allow for the recruitment of diverse participants across the globe. Moreover, these experts are tasked with determining how to appropriately communicate important findings with individuals who choose to participate. Overall, participation can often be difficult because many participants, especially those that have been historically underrepresented in genomic studies, are often cautious of sharing their data.
Nebula Genomics, as a direct-to-consumer DNA testing company, is uniquely positioned to overcome these challenges and lead efforts in increasing the diversity in genomics. With the efficiency of a startup, our focus on privacy and affordability and now global availability of our services, we seek to make a significant contribution to the growth and diversity and genomic data.
We provide a service that empowers our users. We offer full access to your genomic data, weekly updates based on the latest scientific discoveries, advanced ancestry analysis, and powerful genome exploration tools. By joining our community, you will be helping yourself and others to learn and benefit from the advances in genomics.