Government Genome Project to Sequence DNA of All U.S. Babies at Birth

Susanne Posel nsnbc.me Susanne Posel (OC) , - The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has invested $25 million into a project to identify the DNA structure of American infants entitled the 2013 Genomic Sequencing and Newborn Screening Disorders (GSNSD) research program. Funding for this project is provided by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI). The initial concerns of the GSNSD are the ethical, legal and social implications of using infant genetic information for scientific study. This endeavor is being facilitated with academic institutions in cities: • Boston • San Francisco • Chapel Hill • Kansas City The decoding of infant DNA, called genome sequencing, will create a map of each individual child’s genetic make-up to identify health risks that could develop in childhood or later in life. Eric Green, director of the NHGRI said: “We are at a point now where powerful new genome sequencing technologies are making it faster and more affordable than ever to access genomic information about patients. This initiative will help us better understand how we can appropriately use this information to improve health and prevent disease in infants and children.”