Next generation genetics

Abstract

One of the goals in genetic research aims at identifying genes in biochemical and physiological processes to reveal genetic causes of rare and common diseases. Previous obstacles such as costly genotyping or sequencing have been reduced with the chip-based genomewide association studies (GWAS), now culminating with the latest toy-next generation sequencing methodologies (NGS). Concomitantly, computer technologies have evolved to an increasing use of multicore processors and distributed computing on large networks or grids. Although the technologies are not perfect, we now have unprecedented opportunities to perform genetic studies not possible just 10 years ago. The hype about these new technologies have been large, but all the promises have however not been fulfilled entirely as hoped for. Maybe because the hype has been more about the technologies as such, and less about their intended use. Millions of genetic variations have been detected by GWAS and NGS, but only a few have been linked to diseases-with almost no practical clinical significance. A major reason for this apparent deadlock is the inadequacy of the models used, which are based on the traditional "Mendelian" approach, in which one gene is supposed to have a main effect on a trait or a disease. However, most genes claimed to be associated with a disease have small effects and only a tiny fraction of the genetic variance has been captured.