The National Health and Family Planning Commission and the Ministry of Science and Technology have announced that Chinese scientists will draw up a precision medicine project.

Using big data as the foundation for the project and gene sequencing as the tool, the project aims to develop more-targeted diagnostics and treatments for specific diseases and patients through advanced medical science and technology.

The Chinese Academy of Sciences has reportedly stated the Chinese People's Precision Medicine Research Project will collect DNA samples and data from 4,000 volunteers over four years. In addition, they will conduct precise medical research on 2,000 of the volunteers, including whole genome sequence analysis and genome health, with the aim of early warning and intervention analysis.

The precision medicine project is of great significance to China's medical field as well as Chinese society, as it will not only promote the development of a huge medical market, but also be conducive to improving the quality and efficiency of the country's healthcare.