In March, DeCode Genetics published four papers in Nature Genetics on its study sequencing the genomes of 2,636 Icelanders. The research detected rare mutations protecting individuals against disease, and the company reported finding more than 20 million genetic variants. Some of these variants were associated with increased risks for conditions, including a gene associated with increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease and one mutation associated with liver disease. Iceland’s population of approximately 324,000 has relatively low genetic diversity, allowing DeCode’s scientists to draw its conclusions. The company stated that genome sequencing on a wide scale would result in an increase in drug targets, and it has now sequenced the genomes of more than 10,000 Icelanders.

Source: Bloomberg Business