The recent proposal to conduct a prospective cohort study of 500 000 individuals from throughout the UK (BioBank UK) is an attempt to integrate the genetic and environmental components of disease risk. Wright (pages 75–82) highlights the goal of BioBank UK, which is not gene discovery, but the identification of interactions between identified genes and environmental factors of public health significance.
Pharmacogenomics may be a boon to prescriptive medicine, but the core technologies essential to the design and interpretation of pharmacogenomics-based diagnostics are currently under-regulated. Bristol (pages 83–86) indicates the clinical and analytical quality of genetic testing, and the proficiency and analytical qualifications of predictive drug testing services are not covered by existing laws or that the coverage is inadequate.
