# Identifying and Characterizing the Full Spectrum of Haplotype-resolved Structural Variation in Human Genomes

> **NIH NIH U24** · JACKSON LABORATORY · 2024 · $1,888,152

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
The characterization of the full spectrum of genetic variation from whole-genome sequencing (WGS) data is
essential for genome research and precision medicine. Recent technological advances have led to substantially
improved sensitivity in detecting and characterizing structural variants (SVs) and the generation of highly
contiguous phased genomes; however, some genomic regions (e.g., short arms of acrocentric chromosomes,
pericentromeric regions and regions containing complex SVs) remain extremely difficult to accurately assemble
and genotype. The Investigators of this project are well qualified to tackle this problem. They have worked
together for well over a decade to make substantial advances toward comprehensive SV discovery and improved
genome assemblies by combining data from multiple technologies and developing new tools for analyzing and
integrating these data.
This competing renewal for a community resource has four aims. In Aim 1, computational methods will be
developed to optimize SV discovery through accurate genome assembly - in the absence of parental sequencing
data - and will be applied to 426 samples from all 26 diverse populations of the 1000 Genomes Project (1kGP)
where long-read sequencing data are available from both the Human Genome Structural Variation Consortium
(HGSVC) and Human Pangenome Reference Consortium (HPRC) efforts. Aim 2 will develop pipelines that will
provide the most comprehensive, rapid and low-cost genotyping of SVs in short-read datasets. This will be made
possible from the incorporation of pooled Strand-seq data and inversions in 1000 individuals from the 1kGP. Aim
3 will develop pipelines and resources for SV imputation, genotyping, and functional characterization that can
be used for future association studies. Proof-of-principle studies will be conducted on the 1kGP, and an autism
spectrum disorder (ASD) cohort. Aim 4 will develop a fine-resolution SV resource containing precise breakpoint
information and biologically relevant annotations. New visualization and analytical tools will be built into the
International Genome Sample Resource (IGSR), making the data and tools acquired from this project widely
available and in a manner that preserves the complexities of SVs. As a part of Aim 4, we also outline a plan to
provide dedicated user training for our tools and datasets in different geographical locations and multiple times
a year to maximize research community awareness and adoption. Taken together, our community resource
project will provide valuable methods and tools for benchmarking SV discovery and genotyping across WGS
datasets in the human genomic research and clinical domains.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10769047
- **Project number:** 2U24HG007497-09
- **Recipient organization:** JACKSON LABORATORY
- **Principal Investigator:** Evan Eichler
- **Activity code:** U24 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $1,888,152
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 2013-09-20 → 2028-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10769047

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10769047, Identifying and Characterizing the Full Spectrum of Haplotype-resolved Structural Variation in Human Genomes (2U24HG007497-09). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-28 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10769047. Licensed CC0.

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