AI&DHI Launches 10,000-Sample WGS Pilot
ANN ARBOR - Building on the Michigan Genomics Initiative’s (MGI’s) successful 100,000+ patient GWAS dataset, AI & Digital Health Innovation (AI&DHI), in collaboration with the Michigan Medicine (MM) Department of Pathology, has initiated a Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) pilot on 10,000 individuals. This critical initiative is made possible through the generous support of Michigan Medicine’s Vice Dean for Research.
The Project's Dual Purpose
This WGS pilot serves two crucial, interconnected goals:
Advancing Research: To provide Michigan Medicine researchers with state-of-the-art, comprehensive genetic data, offering a more complete view of the genetics from specific MGI cohort subsets.
Modernizing Clinical Infrastructure: To support clinical pathology efforts by developing the internal systems necessary for integrating WGS return of results within health system operations.
MGI: A Foundational Resource
“WGS provides a far more complete view of an individual’s DNA than genotyping arrays or targeted sequencing, and this deeper level of detail will enable new discoveries in genetic variation, disease risk, and precision medicine.”
Annette S. Kim, MD, PhD
Henry Clay Bryant Professor of Pathology,
Division Director and Professor of Molecular and Genomic Pathology
MGI is currently one of the largest hospital-based resources of its kind, marrying electronic health record (EHR) data with genetic information for about 90,000 participants (and growing). This resource has already enabled over 125 publications and numerous grant applications. However, the current limitation to only SNP array genotype data restricts the depth and types of genomic analyses possible; the WGS pilot is designed to significantly expand this analytical potential.
Sequencing Progress and Quality Assurance
Sequencing for this effort is currently underway at the University of Michigan within the Division of Diagnostic Genetics (DGG). To ensure the highest accuracy and utility, all data are being generated under Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) standards and sequenced to a high target depth of 30–40x.
To date, approximately 2,000 of the planned 10,000 samples have been sequenced. Sequencing and analysis on all 10,000 samples is expected to be completed and available for researchers in Q3, 2026.
The Power of Whole Genome Sequencing
“We are so excited to have launched whole genome sequencing (WGS) under CLIA at the University of Michigan,” said Dr. Annette S. Kim, Henry Clay Bryant Professor of Pathology. “WGS provides a far more complete view of an individual’s DNA than genotyping arrays or targeted sequencing, and this deeper level of detail will enable new discoveries in genetic variation, disease risk, and precision medicine. In addition to the huge power of WGS for research and discovery, the collaboration with MGI/AI&DHI enables decreased cost and turnaround time as well for our critically ill patients who require WGS for clinical diagnosis. It is the perfect synergy of the research and clinical missions at University of Michigan. “