DNA is the building block in humans that contains the instructions to maintain your body, look over certain processes, and what makes you different from everybody else. However, genes are part of the instructions of DNA which are inherited from your biological parents. These genes determine your traits.

Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) help scientists identify genes associated with specific diseases. GWAS studies genes from a large group of people. Using the sequenced genes, scientists can find the small differences between control groups, and test groups. These small differences, called single nucleotide polymorphisms, contribute to how we understand genes.

Project A-BIG-NET helps us learn more about why some people have bipolar disorder in Asian communities. The project will help to figure out the genes that play a role in getting bipolar disorder and compare them between people who have it and people who don't. This project will help people in Asia with bipolar disorder and add to what we know about mental health around the world, which will ultimately help make better treatments for mental health issues in the future.

Your participation in the A-BIG-NET project contributes to a global understanding of bipolar disorder genetics by providing valuable genetic information from diverse Asian populations. This data helps researchers to identify genetic variations associated with the disorder and will allow international collaborations for comparative analyses.