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You Can Get $50 for Your DNA If You’re a Man Between 30 to 40

2022-12-18 , 8:33 pm

Earning some extra moolah is always nice.

However, in a world where 44-hour work weeks are the norm, it’s difficult to find the time to do a side hustle on top of your regular job.

What if I told you that you can be $50 richer just by being a man?

Launch of SG100K

SG100K is an ambitious project set to track social, environmental, lifestyle and genetic factors that are associated with prominent diseases in Singapore.

Officially launched on 16 December 2022 by Health Minister Ong Ye Kung, the project aims to study the health of 100,000 Singaporeans over the span of a few decades.

The project is a partnership between various research institutions such as Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine’s (LKCMedicine) Health for Life in Singapore (HELIOS), National University of Singapore, Singapore Eye Research Institute, the National Heart Centre, Precision Health Research, Singapore (Precise) and many other healthcare partners.

Notably, LKCMedicine’s HELIOS, which involves both the National Healthcare Group (NHG) and Imperial College London, began embarking on a similar study in 2018.

Through this study, researchers will use DNA to identify ailments and cures for prevalent diseases such as hypertension and diabetes. Furthermore, SG100K aims to be able to use this data to develop new drugs or health treatments in the future.

How SG100K Works

Around 20,000 people have signed up to be participants of the study.

50,000 more participants were drawn from four existing cohort studies under LKCMedicine and National University of Singapore’s Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health and other partnering institutions.

While Singaporeans and permanent residents from the ages of 30 to 84 are eligible to apply, regardless of pre-existing health conditions, the study is currently looking for males aged 30 to 40 as the demographic is currently underrepresented.

Participants will get $50 as a token of appreciation. All you need is to provide a sample of your DNA, which you were already born with.

Participants will need to complete a survey and go for a check-up that lasts around 5 hours.

Researchers will also collect saliva samples and blood samples for DNA analysis.

In addition, researchers will take note of the participant’s vitals, including and not limited to checking their physical fitness, lung function, cholesterol levels and skeletal health.

After which, researchers will continue to analyse this information for the next three years.

Why is SG100K Necessary?

Precision medicine, which is the branch of healthcare that aims to maximise the benefits of treatments of diseases via genomics, is one of Singapore’s Research, Innovation and Enterprise’s visions for 2025.

Currently, most studies on genomics focus on Caucasians. However, diseases such as cancer and heart diseases could behave differently in Asians due to the differing genetic makeup between different ethnic groups.

As there is not enough research in Asian genomics, which can potentially lead to misdiagnosis.

Singapore is the prime location for such a study to take place as our ethnic diversity is equivalent to more than 80% of Asia’s diversity, increasing the chances of a reliable sample.

Malays and Indians make up to 40% of participants, with Chinese participants to make up the other 60%.

It is also expected that Singapore’s ageing population will increase. Thus, such a study is essential to optimise treatments and diagnose illnesses effectively.

The data from the SG100k study will be one of the largest databases and will help researchers gain insights for the next three decades through long-term research.

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Privacy Concerns?

If you are hesitant to sign up due to privacy concerns, don’t worry.

Precise has taken measures to protect the privacy of participants’ data. Furthermore, researchers need approval in order to access data.

Participant’s health data will also be followed up in the long term for researchers to track changes such as new diseases or conditions.

Intrigued? Click here to find out more and here to sign up.