SINGAPORE, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) -- A new genetic databank containing the whole genome sequencing (WGS) of close to 5,000 Singaporeans has been established in Singapore.

According to a press release by Singapore's Agency for Science, Technology and Research on Friday, the study completes the world's largest WGS analysis of Asian populations, particularly of Indian and Malay populations in the world.

And it provides valuable insights on the unique genetic diversity of Asian populations that could enable more accurate diagnosis of genetic diseases, empower the research of chronic diseases and guide prevention and targeted therapies.

Singapore investigators performed WGS on close to 5,000 Singaporeans (2,780 Chinese, 903 Malays, and 1,127 Indians) over two years. The study revealed a noticeable degree of genetic intermingling among the three ethnic groups.

In addition, the team identified 98.3 million genetic variants across the Singapore genomes. Of these more than half have not been previously reported in public databases, which to date have focused on Western and European populations.

This study was a collaboration among scientists and clinicians from several research institutes and hospitals in Singapore, and was published in Cell on October 17. Enditem

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