NKX6-3/ANK1
Dissecting the role of genomic variants in type 2 diabetes
Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is the most common type of diabetes, accounting for around 90% of all diabetes cases. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified hundreds of significant susceptibility regions (loci) for T2D as well as a multitude of other conditions, but the exact nature of DNA alterations or variants underlying the susceptibility has not been determined for the vast majority of loci. We work with Dr. Stephen Parker and Dr. Laura Scott at University of Michigan to search for target loci that prominently contribute to T2D. We are currently using our high throughput BIG DNA assembly technology to construct combinatorial risk single nucleotide variations (SNVs) in the NKX6-3/ANK1 genomic region, to pinpoint the responsible variant(s) that lie in the “dark matter” of the genome.