A more diverse genome model that goes past simple DNA may lead to better medical care.

DNA is the genetic code that we have been told makes up the building blocks of who we are.

Scientists are finding that DNA is much more complicated than that and there is a regionality to it. A new model known as the Pangenome may actually be more accurate, since many of us may have come from areas other than Europe.

Considering different peoples developed differently in different areas of the world, the Pangenome model is more accurate and considers different regional adaptations that the older model did not include.

Genetic diversity is truer to who we are, especially as Americans. It may also lead to treatments and cures of diseases that are specific to certain regional groups.

The new model also considers that DNA is more complex looking than the simple strands we have been taught about in school.

Check out the recent NY Times article that discusses why this is important and how it improves our understanding of who we are.

Scientists Unveil a More Diverse Human Genome

The “pangenome,” which collated genetic sequences from 47 people of diverse ethnic backgrounds, could greatly expand the reach of personalized medicine.

By Elie Dolgin Published May 10, 2023

More than 20 years after scientists first released a draft sequence of the human genome, the book of life has been given a long-overdue rewrite.

A more accurate and inclusive edition of our genetic code was published on Wednesday, marking a major step toward a deeper understanding of human biology and personalized medicine for people from a wide range of racial and ethnic backgrounds.

Unlike the previous reference — which was largely based on the DNA of one mixed-race man from Buffalo, with inputs from a few dozen other individuals, mostly of European descent — the new “pangenome” incorporates near-complete genetic sequences from 47 men and women of diverse origins, including African Americans, Caribbean Islanders, East Asians, West Africans and South Americans.