Recently, China launched the  Newborns Genome Project and the Embryos Genome Project—two important parts of China’s Human Single Target Genome Project.

China’s Newborns Genome Project endeavours to improve early detection, early diagnosis and early intervention of genetic diseases in newborns. The China Embryos Genome Project will further unveil the mysteries of embryonic development, promote the application of new technologies in clinical diagnosis, and ultimately improve the diagnosis rate of birth defects.

According to Prof. He Lin, a scholar at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and a member of the Genetics Society of China’s Genetic Counselling branch, as many as 7,000 kinds of genetic diseases are currently known to human beings. China reports about 900,000 cases of birth defects every year and the occurrence rate remains high due to some social factors. “Let’s start from paediatrics and embryos to take a fundamental approach at reducing birth defects.”

In 2015, the Branch of Genetic Counselling, Genetics Society of China, collaborated with various medical institutions and scientific research units for the Human Single Target Genome Project, in a bid to resolve various genetic disease problems. As part of the Human Single Target Genome Project, China Deafness Genome Project and the Chinese Twins Genome Project were launched last November.

The China Newborns Genome Project aims to build a newborns genome database, and establish neonatal genetic diseases testing and counselling standards. The China Embryos Genome Project will build a embryos genome database, and establish a genetic counselling system for pre-implantation testing and the report interpretation standards.