Computer Scientist Brings New Light to Genetic Research

The world of DNA research is constantly in flux: after a research paper from last year called into question the security of publicly available DNA data, health institutes elected to remove genetic data from public access rather than run the risks of said data falling into the wrong hands. So far, there hasn't been a remedy for this problem, but according to PhysOrg, a computer scientist in Israel could have the answer.

Dr. Eran Halperin, a resident of Tel Aviv University's computer science school -- specifically its Department of Molecular Microbiology -- has been working with a team of colleagues from UC Berkeley to develop a mathematical formula that can be used by genetic researchers to obtain raw data for research while protect genetic privacy on a public level. According to this month's Nature Genetics, the tool "could keep millions of research dollars-worth of DNA information available to scientists."

According to the article, the mathematical formula in question is capable of determining which SNPs (a shorter name for "small pieces of DNA that differ from individual to individual in the human population") can be accessed publicly without revealing too much vital information or the outright identity of any one individual in a given study. The team was able to develop software to run the formula, and Dr. Halperin and his team were able to demonstrate "the statistical improbabilities of identifying individuals even when their complete genetic sequence is known." With the excellent boosted effectiveness of the software, as highlighted with the demonstration, Halperin hopes that the previous policy of limited access will be overturned, allowing genetics and bioinformatics college research to flourish even farther in the near future.