A Gene Map of Europe

03 September 2008, 9:19am

Researchers have created a picture of Europe by mapping genetic variation among Europeans.

Scientists have shown that they can use genomic analysis to pinpoint a person's geographical origins to within just a few hundred kilometers. Besides offering possibilities for the testing of genetic ancestry, the research could also have important implications for understanding the role of genes in complex diseases and other genomic-based health studies.

By plotting the differences between genetic variations of 3,000 Europeans in a two-dimensional grid, the researchers were able to reveal a pattern that looks remarkably like Europe. The latest study goes further, by using algorithms to try to predict a person's geographical origin based purely on his or her genetic variations, with a high degree of accuracy. The scientists were even able to reveal patterns of origin distinguishing French-, German-, and Italian-speaking groups within Switzerland. The research includes scientists from Cornell University; the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA); the University of Chicago; and the University of Lausanne, in Switzerland.

Genetic samples were chosen to include individuals whose geographic ancestry could be determined, based on having all four grandparents coming from the same country. The researchers then created a two-dimensional map with individuals positioned according to how similar or how different they are from all the others. When color-coded to show where each of their grandparents is from, the results are compelling, clearly showing the shape and boundaries of Europe.

One of the motivations for this kind of work is to assist genetic epidemiology, or population-wide genetic studies. Researchers can save money in large-scale genetic epidemiological studies if they can create genetic control groups for distinct populations, allowing researchers to more easily test drugs against different populations to see where the benefits lie. Although the initial research has focused on Europe, there are plans to extend this sort of research to cover larger parts of the world and individuals of mixed ancestry.

Eventually, this sort of research is likely to be picked up by the growing number of companies offering DNA home tests over the Internet to people wishing to trace their genealogy. At the moment, these services tend to offer fairly rough pictures of one's origins. But as the microarray technology becomes cheaper and the statistical software used to map it becomes more sophisticated, these kinds of services should greatly improve.

By Duncan Graham-Rowe, MIT Technology Review

Copyright Technology Review 2008.

Full article in MIT Technology Review

Geo: International