The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government is preparing for the establishment of a genome institute, an official said Thursday.
The HKSAR government's Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan said at a press conference that the Hong Kong Genome Institute will be responsible for promoting a genomic sequencing project that plans to sequence 40,000 to 50,000 genomes in Hong Kong.
The pilot phase of the project will be focused on patients and their family members with undiagnosed disorders and hereditary cancers, Chan said.
The HKSAR government has earmarked 1.2 billion Hong Kong dollars (155 million U.S. dollars) in total for the project.
Chan added that the project will be a catalyst to establish a talent pool, the relevant standards and protocols, as well as a genome database of the local population which will greatly facilitate the clinical application of genomic medicine and scientific research.
The HKSAR government on Thursday also announced the Strategic Development of Genomic Medicine in Hong Kong, a blueprint to drive the local development of genomic medicine in order to harness its huge potential in precise diagnoses, personalized treatment and surveillance of diseases.
