The Coriell Institute for Medical Research was awarded a $3.1 million contract from the NHGRI to establish a sample repository for human genetic research.
The new repository will house samples for genetic research, including the samples collected for the International HapMap Project. The International HapMap Project produced a resource with 3.9 million SNPs typed in each of the samples. The next effort is to expand the repository to include samples from seven additional populations.
The NHGRI initially worked with the Human Genetic Cell Repository at Coriell to establish, store, and distribute the cell lines and DNA studied to develop the HapMap.
Coriell will help communicate with the various donor communities directly as well as in collaboration with NHGRI. Each of the communities where samples were collected for the HapMap has a community advisory group, through which the Repository can communicate to the community the importance and results of research using the HapMap.