What genetic variation is to be found in the Dutch indigenous population? Detailed knowledge about this is not only interesting in itself, it also helps to extract useful biomedical information from Dutch biobanks. The Dutch biobank collaboration BBMRI-NL has initiated the extensive Rainbow Project “Genome of the Netherlands” (GoNL) because it offers unique opportunities for science and for the development of new treatments and diagnostic techniques. A close-up look at the DNA of 750 Dutch people-250 trio’s of two parents and an adult child-plus a global genetic profile of large numbers of Dutch will disclose a wealth of new information, new insights, and possible applications.
The Genome of the Netherlands is a consortium of the UMCG,LUMC, Erasmus MC, VU university and UMCU, led by Professor Cisca Wijmenga. All the sequencing work is done by BGI Hong Kong. The project started out in 2010, and in all probability the first analysis results will be published towards the end of 2011.