In which I spit for science

"Dear PGP-UK Participant

Following your completion of the PGP-UK geographic survey, we would like to invite you to participate in PGP-UK.

As outlined previously this involves the collection of a saliva sample from you, from which DNA will be extracted and whole-genome sequenced at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute."

I have this morning spent ten minutes spitting into a test tube and the sample has been posted off to the  Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute to be sequenced: whole genome sequencing. Scary thought: I can now be cloned.

I was selected (as one of a number of participants) as my four grandparents all lived in or around Bristol, in support of this study.

"Fine-scale genetic variation between human populations is interesting as a signature of historical demographic events and because of its potential for confounding disease studies. We use haplotype-based statistical methods to analyse genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data from a carefully chosen geographically diverse sample of 2,039 individuals from the United Kingdom.

"This reveals a rich and detailed pattern of genetic differentiation with remarkable concordance between genetic clusters and geography. The regional genetic differentiation and differing patterns of shared ancestry with 6,209 individuals from across Europe carry clear signals of historical demographic events.

"We estimate the genetic contribution to southeastern England from Anglo-Saxon migrations to be under half, and identify the regions not carrying genetic material from these migrations. We suggest significant pre-Roman but post-Mesolithic movement into southeastern England from continental Europe, and show that in non-Saxon parts of the United Kingdom, there exist genetically differentiated subgroups rather than a general ‘Celtic’ population."

More later.