Third Human Variome Project Meeting

UNESCO Paris, 10-14 May 2010

• © UNESCO/A. Schmitz

The meeting is co-organised with the Division of Basic and Engineering Sciences, Natural Sciences Sector, UNESCO.

Changes in our genes, both small and large, are a fact of life. They drive evolution, constantly introducing phenotypic variability into the population, ensuring that we, as a species, can adapt to changing environments. However, this same process can also cause disease and illness; in the most obvious instances, and the most devastating, these diseases are diseases of childhood: cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy, Tay-Sachs disease, to name a few.

The purpose is to alleviate needless human suffering for many millions of the world’s people by collecting, organising and sharing data on genetic variation.

If diagnosis is much slower than otherwise possible and worse still, if prognosis is inaccurate, then millions of people will suffer needlessly. They will not only suffer from the physical effects of disease, but they and their families will also suffer from the significant psychological, emotional and economic effects.

3rd Human Variome Project Meeting. Implementation and Integration

Overall Goal

Continue to increase awareness of the importance of the aims of the Human Variome Project and the further development of protocols and systems to "collect, curate and make available information on all human genetic variation in all genes from all countries affecting human health" and its funding.

Objectives

• To ensure progression of the objectives of the Human Variome Project to "collect variation causing disease (mutations) in all genes world wide".
• To gather experts and leaders in the strategies and systems required, together with those responsible for collecting data and its users.
• To gather those who are already collecting mutations within their countries and others who wish to establish a system, especially those from developing countries.
• To present projects currently underway or in the planning stage that contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the Human Variome Project objective.
• To examine all areas of the implementation and integration of the overall and individual parts of the project.
• To identify specific new projects and develop formal collaborative groups to undertake the work and to develop standards.
• To gather those who are experienced in funding to consider optimal ways for the Human Variome Project to move forward and to identify potential funding sources for the projects.

Related links:
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• Source:UNESCO SC
• 07-05-2010

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