Identifying more than 1,200 genetic variants associated with academic success

As part of one of the largest human genetic studies conducted to date, an international team of scientists has identified more than 1,200 genetic variants badociated with the level of education reached by one person [19659002]. In recent years, researchers have shown great interest because they are related to many other aspects of people's lives, including their income in adulthood, general health, and even the general population. ;life expectancy.

Genetic composition has long explained some of the differences in academic achievement. Their hope is that this data can be used to better understand what educators should do to help children achieve their goals.

The study involved 1.1 million participants from 15 countries. The meta-badysis used information from 71 datasets, including some of the largest sets of genetic data in the world.

Researchers spent more than two years badyzing the participants' genetic information, which they linked to the questionnaires measuring number of completed school years. Participants in the study were aged 30 or older and of European descent.

Researchers have discovered that many genetic variations involved in academic success are involved in the way neurons communicate in the brain. A striking number is involved in the transmission of neuron signals through connections called synapses.

These 1,271 genes serve to explain about 4% of the variation in the number of completed school years among the individuals included in the meta-badysis. . However, when the effects of all variants were measured across the genome, researchers were able to develop a polygenic score that was predictive of 11 to 13% of the variation in academic achievement. However, the researchers pointed out that individual genetic variants have little predictive value.

Of course, having a low polygenic score does not mean that a person does not reach a high level of education or that she is "disabled" in any way or from another. Socio-economic status, personality, family and other environmental factors are important and can be much more important than genes to predict a person's academic success.

Despite this, the study is still important because it helps scientists to have a clearer picture of the complex interaction between genetics and the environment, shaping the level of education of a person.

Reference: Gene discovery and polygenic prediction from a whole genome badociation study on educational attainment in 1.1 million people. Nature Genetics, 2018. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41588-018-0147-3