Tohoku Medical Megabank Project collects biological specimens such as blood and urine, from 150,000 healthy Japanese participants with informed consent in Miyagi and Iwate prefectures. We also collect data from physiological examinations, physical measurements, medical and lifestyle information from the questionnaires, and MRI data of a part of the participants who offered their information at our sub-branches, which are located in several community areas. This information is stored in the data storage system, and at the same time, biological specimens are preserved at appropriate temperatures and under suitable conditions. The results of analysis of the biological specimens are combined with information above to construct our integrated database. A part of the data is available to public through the websites as follows.

The Biobank in Tohoku Medical Megabank Projects obtained certification of ISO 9001 Quality Management System (Group of Biobank) and ISO 27001 Information Security Management System (Group of Biobank, but also Group of Integrated Database, and Group of Materials and Information Management).

Biological Specimens

(Number of tubes on November 1, 2021)

*Customized LIMS (Laboratory Information Management System) based on LabVantage (LABVANTAGE Solutions) is used for specimen handling and inventory management. Specimens are aliquoted into Matrix 2D Barcoded Storage Tubes. Freedom EVO robotic dispensers (TECAN) are used to aliquot liquid specimens automatically.

Medical and Life-Style Information, Health Data
(Baseline Assessment and Repeat Assessment)

* Baseline Assessment was doing during 2013 to 2017. Repeat Assessment is stated since June 2017.

MRI Exam

(Number of people on February 1, 2020)

Japanese Multi Omics Reference Panel (jMorp)

“jMorp” is a database consisted of genome, metabolome and proteome data in plasma. Multiple omics analysis data obtained by ToMMo is integrated to “jMorp”, and opened to the researchers online.

-Genome information for 14,000 people is now available -jMorp 2021 major update(Dec. 27, 2021)

Genome Variation

We performed around 8,300 whole genome sequencing and construct genome reference panel for the Japanese population (8.3KJPN). Information on frequencies and locations of all found single-nucleotide variants (SNV) on the panel is available through the “jMorp”.
You can search your interested SNVs on our platform by the reference SNP ID number (rsID), Gene Symbol and locate information on the international human genome reference sequence. All found SNVs frequencies in our reference panel are displayed and you can compare with gnomAD. All the frequencies and locate information are downloadable by a single file for each chromosome. In addition to enhancements of jMorp, it includes such as X chromosome data, mitochondria data, and implementation of the variant-structure mapping visualization tool.

You can access the former versions of our genome reference panel, such as 1KJPN, 2KJPN, 3.5KJPN on Integrative Japanese Genome Variation Database (iJGVD), and after 3.5KJPNv2 on Japanese Multi Omics Reference Panel (jMorp). 

Achievement of Research product by Whole Genome Reference Panel: Japonica Array
The “Japonica Array”, DNA microarray designed for genome analysis of Japanese population, is developed in 2014 by ToMMo, and it has been used for our genome analyses of tens of thousands of cohort participants. The array contains common SNPs in the Japanese population as well as disease-related SNPs. A whole genome sequence can be imputed very precisely with our genome reference panel.

Genome Sequence

ToMMo has released the Japanese reference genome, JG1, constructed by integrating three de novo assembled genomes of Japanese male individuals in 2019. In 2020, we released updated version JG2, constructed by integrating six de novo assembled genomes from three Japanese male individuals. The Japanese reference genome is available online.
You can access the former versions of the Japanese reference genome v1 (JRGv1) released on 2016, or v2 (JRGv2) released on 2017 with a long-read-type next-generation sequencer, PacBio RSII (Pacific Biosciences).

Metabolome and Proteome

On “jMorp”, the results of global metabolome analysis for metabolites in serum and proteome analysis are available online. You can find the distribution and frequencies information for major metabolites for several thousand populations and proteins for several hundred populations.
Metabolome data were measured by proton NMR and LC-MS, and proteome data were obtained by nanoLC-MS. Metabolome and proteome data obtained from more than 25,000 adults. We measured several thousand metabolites including the uncharacterized ones and several hundred proteins by now. The data will be released after carefully checking each metabolite and protein in order.