GDBIG: A Pioneering Birth Cohort Genomic Platform Facilitating Intergenerational Genetic Research.

Abstract

High-quality genome databases derived from large-scale, family-based birth cohorts are vital resources for investigating the genetic determinants of early-life traits and the impact of early-life environments on the health of both parents and offspring. Here, we established the genomic platform of the Born in Guangzhou Cohort Study (BIGCS), named the Genome Database of BIGCS (GDBIG), which represents the first birth cohort-based genomic database in China and is designed to facilitate intergenerational genetic research. Based on the phase I results of the BIGCS, GDBIG includes low-coverage (∼ 6.63×) whole genome sequencing (WGS) data and extensive pregnancy phenotypes from 4053 Chinese participants. These participants are from 30 of China's 34 administrative divisions, encompassing Han and 12 minority ethnic groups. Currently, GDBIG provides a range of services, including allele frequency queries for 56.23 million variants across two generations, a genotype imputation server featuring a high-quality family-based reference panel, and a genome-wide association study (GWAS) meta-analysis interface for various maternal and infant phenotypes. The GDBIG database addresses the lack of Asian birth cohort-based genomic resources and provides a valuable platform for conducting genetic analysis, accessible online or via application programming interfaces (API) at http://gdbig.bigcs.com.cn/.