Scientists are assembling a new picture of humanity

"Paten and his colleagues hope to release the first open-access genome graph, made up of over 1,000 people, within a year. A company called Seven Bridges rolled out a beta version of a proprietary graph earlier this month....

Seven Bridges has gotten some criticism in the genome graph community, because it’s selling software rather than just building open-source tools. Kural said the investment the company has attracted ($45 million came in this February) will let it reach the goal of large-scale genome graphs first. “To reach that scale, you need the longevity that grant funding ultimately will not be able to provide,” said Kural.

Paten, however, has serious concerns about Seven Bridges. “Their effort is entirely proprietary, and they’re attempting to patent everything, which to me is hugely troubling,” he said. Building large-scale graphs will have to be a collaborative effort, said Paten, one that will require open-source tools. “We need sunlight and transparency.” ..."