Lab Chat: Researchers recruit more than 20,000 people for Facebook-based genomics project

THE LIST OF SURVEYS THAT GENES FOR GOOD PARTICIPANTS CAN COMPLETE ON A DAILY BASIS. (UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN GENES FOR GOOD)

The Genes for Good project uses Facebook to have people answer survey questions and subsequently send in saliva kits so researchers can match lifestyle information to genetic samples. In a new study, scientists share that the project was able to collect information from more than 20,000 individuals. Moreover, that information reflected biological trends observed in the broader U.S. population through more traditional research methods. I chatted with Gonçalo Abecasis, one of the study co-authors and a bioinformatics researcher at the University of Michigan, to learn more.

Why turn to social media?

We were looking to do a research study where we could reach very large numbers of people across the country, where we could collect data not as a one-off thing but over time.

What has been surprising about the project?

The fact that the data was so high-quality was surprising. The other thing that has been interesting for us is how fast excitement for the project grew.

Check out the full Q&A here.