Long and short of it: UQ scientists identify gene that makes you grow tall
Predicting a child’s height will be more accurate than ever before with a new study led by Australian scientists that uncovered important genetic information.
Dr Loic Yengo and Professor Peter Visscher from University of Queenslandās Institute for Molecular Bioscience have worked with 600 researchers, including from Harvard University and Osaka University, in one of the largest-ever genome-wide studies published in the respected journal Nature.
The research analysed data from 5.4 million people around the world and uncovered 12,000 genetic variants influencing height.
āEighty per cent of height differences between people are determined by genetic factors,ā Yengo said.
āThe 12,000 variants that we found explain 40 per cent of height differences, meaning weāve opened the door for DNA to be used to predict height more accurately than ever before.ā
You might like
Yengo explained that a childās height is normally predicted using the average height of their two biological parents, but using this newly unlocked genomic data paediatricians will be able to get a better estimate.
āIt will put parentsā minds at ease if children are growing as their genes predict, or it will trigger further medical investigation and help pick up potential issues sooner,ā he said.
The findings crucially could also be used in police investigations to predict height from a suspectās DNA sample at a crime scene.
Yengo said one million people were of non-European descent which was higher than usual for genome studies.
Want to see more stories from InDaily Qld in your Google search results?
- Click here to set InDaily Qld as a preferred source.
- Tick the box next to "InDaily Qld". That's it.
