Half a million people will join the Bio Bank

The world's largest medical test will be launched this week in the city of Cheshire, Altrincham, England, when hundreds of volunteers will donate blood and DNA to a new genetic database, Bio Bank.

Three thousand men and women aged 40-69 will participate in tests, the pioneering group of about 500,000 people involved in this 60 million (nearly 104 million USD) project. Volunteers are not only for DNA Biology Bank, but also provide details about their medical history, answering questions about smoking habits, drinking, eating and exercising, as well. as measured blood pressure and body weight.

Participants will be monitored for the rest of their lives, and valuable information, even after they die, will be kept on computers at the University of Manchester. This database will be used to explore the genetic and environmental causes of all common diseases including cancer, heart disease and brain disease.

In turn, these data will pave the way for the development of new drugs and therapies. As the geneticist Nobel Prize winner Sydney Brenner said: 'Genetic banking is the future for medical research'.

CONFIDENTIAL