Creating the World's Largest Genetic Library

Click on the 'Listen' button above to hear this segment

A massive pool of genetic information, 1 million strong: That’s the goal of a new initiative from the National Institutes of Health, called “All of Us.” It would give scientists and medical researchers a huge amount of data to study and learn from. And starting this spring, Americans are invited to participate.

NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins has been pushing to compile the world's largest genetic library for a long time. He says it could have major implications for understanding the genetic basis for many health conditions, and would bring us to closer to a world where “precision medicine” is the norm.

Dr. Collins joins The Takeaway to explain the project and its mission.

This segment is hosted by Todd Zwillich