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Indigenous diversity in Australia’s DNA tapestry unlocked for genetic equity

Diverse genomic sequences might boost equity in areas such as health care. Genomic data from Indigenous Australians, shared through a community-consultation framework, aids efforts to boost genetic representation.
  1. Katrina G. Claw

    1. Katrina G. Claw is in the Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado 80045, USA.

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  2. Amber Nashoba

    1. Amber Nashoba is in the Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado 80045, USA.

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Languages and genes can tell us stories of the past. The genetic differences between Indigenous Australian communities are not well understood but are hypothesized to reflect their linguistic diversity. Writing in Nature, Silcocks et al.1 present findings supporting this hypothesis, showing exceptionally high genetic variation and strong population structure (patterns of genetic variation resulting from past non-mixing) in genomic comparisons of linguistically distinct communities. The authors also highlight the importance of respecting cultural perspectives and engaging Indigenous Australian peoples in genomic research and its applications.

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Nature 624, 536-537 (2023)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-023-03785-x

References

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Competing Interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

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