BEIJING, April 7 (Xinhuanet) -- A group of computer scientists, mathematicians, and biologists from around the world have developed a computer algorithm that can quickly trace an individual's genetic ancestry with only a small sample of their DNA and without any prior knowledge of their background.

    The multi-disciplinary approach, published in the September 2007 edition of the journal PLoS Genetics, allowed the research team to address this type of research in an unusual manner. Unlike previous computer programs that required prior knowledge of an individual's ancestry and background, the new algorithm looks for specific DNA markers known as single nucleotide polymorphisms, or SNPs (pronounced snips), and needs nothing more than a DNA sample in the form of a simple cheek swab.

    The researchers used genetic data from previous studies to perform and confirm their research, including the new HapMap database, which is working to uncover and map variations in the human genome.

    "This work was an exciting opportunity to form an interdisciplinary team of computer scientists, mathematicians, and human geneticists," said Petros Drineas, the senior author of the study and assistant professor of computer science at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

    Understanding our unique genetic makeup is a crucial step to unraveling the genetic basis for complex diseases. Although the human genome is 99 percent the same from human to human, it is that 1 percent that can have a major impact on our response to diseases, viruses, medications, and toxins. If researchers can uncover the minute genetic details that set each of us apart, biomedical research and treatments can be better customized for each individual, Drineas said.

    This program will help people understand their unique backgrounds and aid historians and anthropologists in their study of where different populations originated and how humans became such a hugely diverse, global society.

    The program was more than 99 percent accurate in trials and correctly identified the ancestry of hundreds of individuals. This included people from genetically similar populations and complex genetic populations like Puerto Ricans who can come from a variety of backgrounds including Native American, European, and African ancestries.

    In addition to Drineas, the algorithm was developed by scientists from California, Puerto Rico, and Greece. The researchers involved include lead author Peristera Paschou from the Democritus University of Thrace in Greece; Elad Ziv, Esteban G. Burchard, and Shweta Choudhry from the University of California, San Francisco; William Rodriguez-Cintron from the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine in San Juan; and Michael W. Mahoney from Yahoo! Research in California.

    (Agencies)