![The underside of an unprecedented scientific project in Morocco [INTÉGRAL]](https://euro.dayfr.com/article/content/uploads/2025/04/17/a165113ca2.jpg)
A new study published in the prestigious scientific review Nature Recently enabled a team of Moroccan scientists to take an unprecedented step: sequencer the complete DNA of 109 people, to establish a first map of the genetic diversity of Morocco. These works are part of the Moroccan Genome Projecta local effort to fill a void in large world genetic databases, which poorly represent North African populations. Even projects dedicated to Africa, such as the AGVP (African Genome Variation Project), have excluded this region. participants – all volunteers – were recruited in Casablanca, Agadir and Laâyoune. By analyzing their complete genome, the researchers were able to collect essential data on the genetic variants present in the country. This is a first base of knowledge, designed to serve as a basis for future research in public health, human genomics and precision medicine.
Unpublished variants
The analysis revealed more than 27 million variations in the genetic code of people studied. Among them, around 1.4 million are considered unprecedented because they had never been listed in major international bases. These discoveries enrich the world catalog of genetic diversity. Some of these variants are very frequent in the Moroccan population, but rare, even absent, elsewhere in the world. The researchers counted more than 15,000 variants with this profile. These results show that the populations of Morocco have distinct genetic characteristics, which cannot be faithfully represented by the models used so far. However, the authors take care to emphasize that they do not draw clinical conclusions from these results: “This study does not aim to establish links with specific diseases, but to create a reliable database to support biomedical research”.
Local genome
Beyond the identification of the variants, the researchers have generated a reference genome based on the most frequent versions of each gene in the participants studied. This model, baptized Moroccan Major Allele Reference Genome (MMARG), better reflects local genetic diversity than standard models such as GRCH38 (Genome Reference Consortium Humanbuild 38), built from a sample of American and European origin. The MMARG does not replace these references, but complete them: it can improve the accuracy of the interpretation of DNA data when they concern people of Moroccan origin. It is an important advance for personalized medicine, which is based on the genetic particularities of an individual to adapt the diagnosis or treatment. By having a tool based on Moroccan data, healthcare professionals and researchers now have a more representative base for local populations.
Following steps
The authors do not fail to specify that this study is only a starting point. They call to expand the database to other regions and to a more diverse population, to better reflect the genetic complexity of Morocco. They also insist on the importance of respect for ethics, data confidentiality and the quality of samples. Note that this initiative is part of a global dynamic aimed at correcting imbalances in the representation of populations on the scale of scientific research. Thanks to the MMARG, the data produced by the project can be integrated into international bases, and thus offer better visibility to North African diversity. The researchers conclude that these results “provide an informative reference base”, likely to support local efforts in genomics, and to pave the way for precision medicine better suited to the country’s realities (see interview).
