Teragen Bio Launches 'Korean Chip Genome Information Production Project' Led by KDCA

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] Theragen Bio announced on the 7th that it will start the 'Korean Chip 2.0 Pilot Chip Genome Information Production Project' led by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency's National Institute of Health.

The National Institute of Health has been striving to develop a DNA chip optimized for Koreans to overcome the limitation that existing DNA chips used for genome analysis are designed mainly for Western populations, and developed the Korean Chip 1.0 in 2015. The currently developing Korean Chip (KBAv2.0) aims to be a next-generation chip that includes more than 2 million clinically useful markers representing Korean genes.

Unlike existing genome chips, it is characterized by the ability to screen more information at once. In the case of existing NGS analysis, there were limitations in genome research on chronic diseases requiring analysis of tens of thousands of samples, such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes, due to high costs. However, once the upgraded Korean Chip is completed, it is expected to be utilized in building genome information databases for chronic disease patients or rare disease patients and to be more effective in finding specific variants expressed only in Koreans.

Hwang Tae-soon, CEO of Theragen Bio, said, “We will continuously strive to contribute to the activation of genome research on Koreans and to overcome chronic diseases.”

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