Complete Decoding of 10,000 Korean Genomes... Establishing a Massive Bio Big Data Foundation

UNIST Declares End of 'Ulsan 10,000 Genome Project'

Foundation for Advanced Genome and Biomedical Service Industry

On the 26th, representatives of genome donors and others are participating in a commemorative tree planting ceremony. [Image source=UNIST]

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-woo] A large-scale project decoding the genomes of ten thousand Koreans has been completed. Not only patients but also the genetic maps of the general population have been created, attracting global attention.

Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST, President Lee Yong-hoon) and Ulsan City (Mayor Song Cheol-ho) declared the completion of decoding the genomes of ten thousand Koreans at 2 p.m. on the 26th in Room N101 of UNIST's 4th Engineering Building.

This was a commemorative event marking the completion of the "Ulsan Ten Thousand Genomes Project," conducted through the "Genome Korea in Ulsan" initiative launched in 2015.

The Ulsan Ten Thousand Genomes Project, which began in 2016, has collected and decoded genome information (Korea10K) from a total of 10,044 Koreans, including 4,700 healthy individuals and 5,300 patients.

More than 18 billion KRW has been invested in this nationwide genome-based health research project to date.

The ten thousand genomes project, led by Ulsan City and UNIST, was promoted as an industry-academia-research-government collaborative project.

Many local hospitals such as Ulsan University Hospital, Ulsan Hospital, Ulsan Central Hospital, Boram Hospital, and Donggang Hospital, as well as universities including Gyeongsang National University, Kyung Hee University, Chungbuk National University, Catholic University, Seoul National University, Korea University, and the Korean Medicine Research Institute, participated along with research institutes and companies such as Clinomics Co., Ltd., UNIST's first venture and a KOSDAQ-listed company.

Professor Park Jong-hwa of UNIST's Department of Biomedical Engineering explained, "The genome is the semiconductor of the bio-industry, and many countries are building core public data of decoded individual genomes to strengthen the competitiveness of the bio-industry. This project is significant because it precisely mapped the genetic polymorphisms of Koreans based on the voluntary participation of the public."

The Ulsan Ten Thousand Genomes Project achieved two major outcomes: "Genome information of ten thousand Koreans (Korea10K)" and "Establishment of a top-tier supercomputing analysis infrastructure in Korea."

Korea10K is highly valuable as a standard database of genetic variation information for Koreans.

It can be utilized as "multi-omics big data," which is the core of next-generation genome projects. This project comprehensively built omics information such as genome, transcriptome, and epigenome collected from blood and saliva, along with health checkup data, clinical information, and lifestyle information.

This data can be used for "multi-omics analysis," which finds changes related to the causes of specific diseases through integrated analysis, enabling more precise genetic disease analysis.

Building a high-performance infrastructure for analyzing ten thousand genomes was also a significant achievement.

UNIST's Genome Industry Technology Center (KOGIC) has established ultra-high-performance, highly integrated computing electronic equipment and large-capacity storage space over several years to analyze large volumes of genome information.

They have also improved their own technology for efficient big data analysis, conducting basic analysis of thousands of whole genomes through automated pipelines.

In May 2020, UNIST researchers gained attention by publishing analysis results of one thousand Korean genomes in the international journal Science Advances.

Currently, the one thousand genome analysis data is distributed to 23 domestic and international research institutions including the UK MRC Center, Cambridge, UC Berkeley, UCLA, Seoul National University, Yonsei University College of Medicine, and KAIST, and is being used for research. Korea10K is also expected to proceed with commercialization research soon through the Genome Regulatory Free Zone.

President Lee Yong-hoon said, "The data, infrastructure, and know-how secured through the Ten Thousand Genomes Project will become innovative competitiveness in the biohealth field. We will lead advanced biofields such as digital healthcare, precision medicine, and new drug development to create a model that can grow together with the region."

Mayor Song Cheol-ho stated, "The genome project started in Ulsan is maturing as a new industry leading the future, including attracting new companies through the Ulsan Genome Service Regulatory Free Zone project. We will ensure that Ulsan can take the lead in advanced disease prediction, diagnosis, and analysis."

The Ulsan Ten Thousand Genomes Project is distinguished from large overseas projects in that it was promoted to popularize genomes. Unlike overseas cases focused on collecting genome information from patients, it was conducted targeting the entire population who voluntarily wished to participate.

The Genome Expo project introduced genome technology and related industries, and opportunities to understand genomes through genome reports also contributed to raising public awareness of genomes.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.