The study lays the groundwork for a reference genome specific to Morocco, a key tool for the development of precision medicine on national scale, according to a press release from Mohammed VI Foundation for Health Sciences (FM6SS).
Conducted by FM6SS researchers at Mohammed VI Center for Research and Innovation (CM6RI), the study is based on the complete genome sequencing of 109 apparently healthy participants from different regions of the Kingdom, the same source adds.
The study reports over 27 million variants, including 1.4 million novel ones, of which 15,378 are highly prevalent in the Moroccan population.
It proposes a Moroccan Major Allele Reference Genome (MMARG), generated using high-coverage consensus sequences from the 109 whole genomes. This MMARG represents more accurately the Moroccan genetic variation than GRCh38.
The work brought together various national researchers in the fields of genomics, bioinformatics, and medicine, and employed an advanced system for data interpretation and security.
This publication marks an acceleration of biomedical research in Morocco. The next phase of the program aims to expand the studied cohort to further refine the national reference genetic model and improve understanding of hereditary disease predispositions within the Moroccan population, the press release concludes.
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