Biotechnology
Genealogical gold mine
Iceland is sometimes referred to as a genealogical gold mine. Iceland’s resource in human genetics – a population with all three sets of data: genetic, medical and genealogical – is created by the Icelandic Sagas, old church records, general interest in genealogy, widespread voluntary participation in research programs and extensive biobanks. The entire present-day population is covered by a genealogy database, stretching back to the settlement of the country more than 1000 years ago.
