Seoul, Jan 22 South Korea has launched a joint public-private initiative to collect biological data from 1 million individuals, aiming to enhance the global competitiveness of the country's bio-industry, the country’s finance ministry said on Wednesday.
The ministry said that the project will gather biological samples, such as blood, urine, and biopsies from participants, including those with rare and severe diseases, to create a large-scale dataset, Yonhap news agency reported.
The dataset will be shared with the medical community, academia, and industries, with long-term plans to make it accessible to the general public.
The first phase, supported by 603.9 billion won ($420.6 million) in state investment, aims to collect data from 770,000 people by 2028, the ministry said.
The final target is to reach 1 million participants by 2032.
"This large biological dataset will enhance public health through personalised medical services and drive innovation in the bio industry," said Shin Sang-hoon, a ministry official, in a meeting with industry officials.
The government emphasised its commitment to collaborating with genetic analysis firms participating in the project, as well as helping bio companies strengthen their global competitiveness.
Meanwhile, the country’s science ministry recently said it has designated 10 technologies that will innovate the bio-industry in the next decade.
According to the Ministry of Science and ICT, the technologies are human immunome, multi-cancer early detection, ribonucleic acid structurome, artificial intelligence (AI)-designed gene editors, anti-ageing antibodies, molecular glue, motile living biobots, digital artificial organs, bio foundation model and health care digital twin, Yonhap reported.
The paradigm of bioresearch will likely change to AI-based prediction and inference from the current research centered on repetitive experiments and observation, the ministry explained.
The technologies will likely be applied in bio and other industries, including medical, space, and manufacturing, in the next five to 10 years.
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