Google is now embarking on one of its most difficult and ambitious science projects ever-an exploration inside the human body called the Baseline study.
Baseline aims to collect genetic and molecular information from over 100 subjects to create what is shaping out to be the fullest picture of a healthy human being there is. Google plans on expanding the project and collecting more data from thousands of subjects later on. In its early stages, the Baseline study is being run by molecular biologist, Andrew Conrad, who is a pioneer of cost-effective yet high-capacity blood plasma tests for HIV. Dr. Conrad is leading a team of about 70 to 100 experts from relevant fields such as biochemistry, physiology, imaging, optics, and molecular biology.
There are other genomic studies that are already underway in different parts of the medical field, but Baseline hopes to amass a larger and more extensive database that will help researchers in the early detection of killer diseases such as cancer and heart disease. This strategy helps the study towards their goal of putting medicine in a place where it is geared towards disease prevention rather than treating illnesses.
According to Dr. Conrad, "With any complex system, the notion has always been there to proactively address problems. That's not revolutionary. We are just asking the question: 'If we really wanted to be proactive, what would we need to know?' You need to know what the fixed, well-running things should look like."
Unlike other projects, Baseline is not restricted to the detection of specific diseases, but is intended to collect hundreds of samples using a wide variety of diagnostic tools and processes. Tech giant, Google, little then use its massive computing powers to identify biomarkers that are buried in all the information, in hopes of uncovering biomarkers that can be used for the early detection of diseases.