UK Biobank Requires Earth's Geneticists To Cooperate, Not Compete

"There's an astonishing outpouring of new information linking genes and health, thanks to the efforts of humble Englishmen and women such as Chritopeher Fletcher. The 70-year-old man recently drove 90 miles from his home in Nottingham to a radiology clinic outside the city of Manchester."

"He is one of half a million Brits who have donated time, blood and access to their medical records to a remarkable resource called UK Biobank. The biobank, in turn, has become a resource for more than a thousand scientists around the world who are interested in delving into the link between genes, behaviors and health."

"Popularity of the resource is snowballing. Just this week, a major study using the data explored the genetics of same-sex sexual behavior. And as researchers discover the biobank's value, there's a strong incentive to add to the database to make it even richer."

"That's why Fletcher finds himself at a radiology clinic. A decade ago, he had donated a blood sample to the nascent UK Biobank and told scientists they were free to poke around in his medical records."

"The scientists have now asked him back, to contribute medical scans that will help medical researchers correlate imagery with health conditions and genes."

"Fletcher will get a scan of his heart and internal organs, to look for buildup in his arteries and fat deposits around his organs, as well as a brain MRI."

"He will spend half a day at the clinic, donating his data to science."