“The first 100 samples of the 1 million National Integrated Bio Big Data project are coming in now.”
On the afternoon of the 11th, when a vehicle from GC Biopharma entered the unloading area at the rear entrance on the first floor of the National Central Human Resources Bank (NBK) in Osong, North Chungcheong Province, the NBK staff looked visibly tense. This day marked the first arrival of human resources for the National Integrated Bio Big Data project. The vehicle that arrived at the unloading dock carried human resources from 117 citizens of the Republic of Korea. Only after safely completing the unloading process did the staff members break into bright smiles.
Bio big data is a tool that collects genomic information of Koreans to identify mutations found in patients with rare diseases or chronic illnesses. By adding bio big data to precision medicine, which comprehensively analyzes individuals' genomic information, environmental factors, and lifestyle habits, patients can receive tailored treatments that match their genetics or prevent diseases. Actress Angelina Jolie's discovery of a mutation in the 'BRACA1' gene, which causes breast and ovarian cancer, during a genomic test in 2013 and her subsequent preventive mastectomy were made possible by this technology.
Major countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom have already begun establishing their own 1 million bio big data projects as national strategic assets. The All of Us program run by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) aims to collect genomic big data from 1 million Americans by next year. Recently, the U.S. genomic analysis company TrueBeta has launched the TrueBeta Genome Project in collaboration with 17 pharmaceutical companies and hospitals to collect and analyze the genomes of 10 million individuals. The UK Biobank, which was the first in the world to begin genomic collection, and Finland's FinGen have collected bio big data from approximately 500,000 individuals.
The South Korean government also officially began the National Integrated Bio Big Data (NIBD) project last December. Relevant ministries including the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Ministry of Science and ICT, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency are involved. By 2028, the project aims to build bio big data for 772,000 individuals (187,000 patients and 685,000 general citizens) and plans to open it to researchers for new drug development at domestic universities, hospitals, and pharmaceutical companies starting next year.
Established in 2012, the National Central Human Resources Bank is operated by the Korea National Institute of Health under the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. Park Hyun-young, the director of the National Institute of Health, noted, “In the past, participation from various recruiting institutions, including hospitals, was low, which caused the selection process to take three rounds. Now, recruitment is actively ongoing at 38 medical institutions across the country, and we have completed the collection of human resources from 210,000 individuals, which will be sequentially received here.”
Specimens such as blood and urine taken from participants at 38 medical institutions nationwide are sent to GC Biopharma, the executing organization. GC Biopharma manufactures these into human resources such as DNA, serum, and plasma, which are then transported frozen to the human resources bank.
The human resources received that day were immediately transferred to the second floor reception area for inspection and registration. The DNA, serum, plasma, and other human resources from 117 general individuals were transported in a total of 1,920 vials, kept frozen at minus 70 degrees Celsius. The researcher conducted inspection work on the received vials in two phases. Scanning the barcode attached to the vials automatically displays the information of the human resources sent by GC Biopharma on the reception area system, which is when errors or omissions are checked. After completing the inspection work, the vials are temporarily stored in a mechanical freezer in the reception area before being moved to the liquid nitrogen freezer storage room on the second floor.
The National Central Human Resources Bank is equipped with 187 mechanical freezers for storing DNA, urine, and other specimens on the first floor and 474 liquid nitrogen freezers for storing serum, plasma, and cells on the second floor, totaling 608 storage devices. It has the capacity to accommodate human resources for 1 million individuals.
Choi Byung-gu, the head researcher in charge of managing the storage equipment and facilities at the human resources bank, stated, “The remaining space will be used for storing human resources coming in through the NIBD project,” adding, “Additionally, the 500,000 individuals set to arrive will be safely stored by expanding the storage facility.”
The National Institute of Health plans to expand the human resources bank with a budget of 67 billion won to enhance the core infrastructure of the NIBD project. The expansion will have a total of four floors (one basement and three above ground) and capable of storing 20 million vials, all of which will be equipped with automated machinery. Completion is aimed for 2027.
The production and analysis of the bio big data from the human resources stored here will be managed by a consortium consisting of domestic genomic analysis companies such as Macrogen, DNA Link, Teragen Bio, and CG InByte. This data will serve as an essential foundation for predicting diseases and for precise diagnosis and treatment based on the genetic characteristics of Koreans.
The key to the success of this NIBD project lies in public participation. Director Park stated, “The NIBD project is essential for the future innovation of precision medicine and the enhancement of public health,” and added, “The National Institute of Health will also strive to gain the trust of the public for this project.”