Humans are found everywhere on Earth. Yet how did we get here? Where did we come from? And why do we all look so different? IBM and National Geographic are mounting the Genographic Project, an ambitious attempt to help answer these fundamental questions. The five-year study will use one of the largest collections of DNA samples ever assembled to map how the Earth was populated.

The Genographic Project is the brainchild of Dr. Spencer Wells, a pioneer in using DNA samples to map human migratory patterns. Working with Dr. Wells will be researchers from IBM's Computational Biology Center—one of the world's foremost life sciences research facilities—and a global team of prominent research scientists from 10 research centers around the world. Together, they will seek answers to long-standing questions regarding man’s epic migration patterns.

You can contribute your DNA anonymously to the study by purchasing a public participation kit*. By participating in the project, you will learn interesting information about your family’s deep ancestry over the ages.

Labels: IBM