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KORA-gen – Overview
The GSF - National Research Center for Environment and Health has established the population-based KORA (Cooperative health research in the Region of Augsburg) platform. In this framework four large population-based cross-sectional studies with about 18,000 participants have been conducted. Moreover, a biological specimen bank has been established in order to enable researchers to perform epidemiologic research with respect to molecular and genetic questions.
Beginning in fall 2004 this resource has been opened for external researchers, under the name KORA-gen. The objective of KORA-gen is to provide access to information about available population controls for genetic studies as well as provision of DNA samples, genotypic and phenotypic data. Within KORA-gen the following prerequisites of a successful genetic-epidemiological research are fulfilled:
- sufficiently large number of participants,
- well characterized disease phenotypes and intermediary phenotypes,
- information about environmental factors,
- genomic DNA, serum, plasma and urine, as well as EBV immortalized cell lines from a subsample of 1,600 participants are available.
The KORA-gen infrastructure covers aspects of study design, sampling and matching, DNA handling and determination of genetic markers, as well as the provision of appropriate data structures and the support in statistical analyses. This is achieved through the development of a web-based information resource and by providing competent individual counselling and assistance.
KORA-gen was initiated by the GSF-National Research Center for Environment and Health. It is partly financed by several projects of the National Genome Research Network (NGFN).
Projects: see KORA-gen homepage
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