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The Environmental Polymorphisms Registry (EPR) is a long-term research project to collect DNA samples from up to 20,000 individuals in the greater North Carolina Triangle region. These samples will be available to scientists to look for genes that may be linked to common diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, asthma and many others. The EPR allows scientists to screen participants for "genotypes of interest" and then invite the participants into follow-up phenotyping and/or toxicity studies on the basis of their genetic profile. The data collected from these studies will be used to define environmental risk factors and develop preventative strategies to reduce the incidence of disease. A consortium of multidisciplinary scientists has been assembled to focus research on genes that increase the risk of human disease when combined with environmental exposure, called environmental response genes.

Tags: DNA, genes, polymorphisms