“Health researchers from around the world can now apply to study the whole genomes of half a million people enrolled in UK Biobank, a biomedical research project that has compiled detailed health and lifestyle records on individuals since it began 20 years ago.

The move on Thursday amounts to the largest number of whole-genome sequences ever released for medical research. The sequences will be used with UK Biobank’s records and other data to delve deeply into the genetics of everything – from people’s risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer and other conditions, to individuals’ sleep and exercise patterns.

Researchers believe the new data will allow them to calculate people’s individual risk scores for a raft of cancers and other diseases, and so work out who could benefit most from early screening.”

From The Guardian.