DNA differences and disease

Your DNA contains instructions for making RNAs and proteins. RNAs and proteins do many jobs in the body. But only a small part of your DNA contains these instructions. People have many differences in their DNA. These differences are called variants. Some variants might affect whether you get a disease. Vanderbilt scientists are looking for variants in the “instruction” parts of DNA. They will look for links between these variants and diseases. They will also study how groups of variants affect disease. The study may help us find variants important in disease. They may also help us treat diseases based on a person’s unique DNA.