This week, U.K. officials launched what may be the largest-ever population study. The goal of the project, dubbed UK Biobank, is to track 500,000 adult volunteers for up to 30 years seeking to link their genes, lifestyle, and common diseases.
Proposed in 1999, the $106 million effort has been criticized for its size and for the possibility of turning up spurious associations between genes and disease. Principal investigator Rory Collins of the University of Oxford says these are "misconceptions" and that the study's large size will make false associations unlikely. But organizers now emphasize that UK Biobank is a broad medical study and that biological markers such as blood protein levels may yield as much information as genes.
Manchester citizens aged 40 to 69 are receiving invitations to join in a 3000-subject pilot project; national enrollment begins later this year and will continue for 5 years. The study is funded by government agencies and the Wellcome Trust charity.
