TASHKENT, Uzbekistan — The Center for Advanced Technologies at the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan is expanding a molecular-genetics initiative designed to build a national genomic database and sharpen medical diagnostics for the country’s population. The project, known as “1000 Genomes,” collects blood samples from residents of different regions while researchers at the center also study laboratory-grown cells for wound healing and cellular processes linked to Parkinson’s disease and carbon monoxide poisoning. Organizers say the work is meant to connect DNA research with practical clinical interpretation and to reduce reliance on data drawn mainly from other populations.
Key Takeaways: The “1000 Genomes” project is assembling a national database from blood samples and questionnaires across Uzbekistan. Researchers say 78% of genomic studies have been conducted on European populations, while Central Asia accounts for only 0.1%. The center plans to read the first 1,000 full genomes by early 2028, expand to 3,000 participants in the next two to three years and eventually aim for one million.
The context is scientific and practical. International genomic databases do not represent the world’s populations evenly, and a genetic variant that is rare in one group may be more common in another. Diagnostic tools and research results built on one population therefore require verification before use in another. For Uzbekistan, the gap is especially relevant because the region’s history includes migrations, trade routes and contact among different peoples. Genetic data may help trace those processes, but the center says a blood sample alone is not enough: participants fill out questionnaires about the birthplaces of parents and older relatives, family history of disease, diet, physical activity and other lifestyle factors. Comparing that information with genetic variants is intended to identify links that deserve further study.
Shakhlo Turdikulova, director of the center and a doctor of biological sciences, said mutations that contribute to diabetes in the local population differ from those found in Europeans or Chinese populations. She noted that 78% of genomic research has been carried out on European populations, while China, Korea and Japan are actively sequencing their own genomes to add data on East Asia; for Central Asia, she said, the figure is just 0.1%. Alisher Abdullaev offered a practical example: in Uzbekistan, especially in Tashkent, food is often over-salted, and people may not perceive salt in the same way because of variants in their genes. That can lead to higher salt consumption and a greater risk of arterial hypertension, he said. Genetic variants also matter when selecting therapy for patients who need blood thinning, according to the center.
The center’s broader research portfolio spans molecular genetics, biophysics and biotechnology. Some projects are intended to reveal mechanisms behind disease, others are already undergoing experimental checks, and some are preparing to move from laboratory research toward production, according to the article. For the genome project, sample collection is being organized with the Ministry of Health in different regions. The first 1,000 full genomes are planned for reading by early 2028; the project is expected to cover 3,000 participants in the next two to three years and a million in the future. The outcome will depend on sustained funding, laboratory capacity and public participation, but the center argues that a national reference database is necessary for more accurate interpretation of tests and for research tailored to Uzbekistan’s population.
Source: podrobno.uz