The Public Population Project in Genomics (P³G) is a not-for-profit international consortium dedicated to fostering collaboration between population genomics researchers. This is done through the development of free and accessible research tools, resources and methods that help optimize and harmonize the design of biobank infrastructures and research projects.

P³G has built a global network of biobanks and experts representing the broad range of knowledge required to develop this field. Working with this community of experts, P³G strives to optimize the design of biobanks and facilitate the harmonization of research materials, methods and studies by developing innovative approaches and tools capable of meeting the challenges of complex, cutting-edge genomic, epidemiological and environmental research. Understanding that sharing information leads to scientific progress, P³G makes this knowledge freely available to the international scientific community through the P³G Observatory website.

With membership from over 40 countries – and growing – P³G benefits from a critical mass of experts and biobank leaders dedicated to shaping and improving all aspects in the field of population genomics.

P³G is guided by a Charter of Principles.

The goal of population-based biomedical research is to improve health for individuals and populations. Studying how genes interact with each other, environment and lifestyle is essential to better understanding diseases. Efforts such as The Human Genome Project, the International HapMap Project, and the profusion of reports and studies addressing susceptibility genes have contributed to a pressing need to generate large, well-characterized data sets from population samples. The collection and study of these samples helps the biomedical community unravel complex genetic and environmental interactions responsible for most common diseases.

The biomedical research community faces many distinctive challenges related to population studies, such as assembling the numbers of people necessary and comparing results. Although this research has the potential to positively impact the health of populations around the world, it is costly and time-consuming. By pooling together the results of well-designed studies, statistical power increases and provides rapid replications that can validate key findings. This is why harmonization is vital and why P³G was created.

P³G enables the international research community to determine more effective healthcare strategies aimed at disease prevention, as well as finding ways to tailor medicines and other treatment regimens to individuals, families and communities.

P³G primarily serves the research needs of biomedical researchers working in the areas of human genomics, and environmental and epidemiological research. This international community includes biobankers, researchers, scientists and students working in the field of human genomics.

P³G recruits members from all areas of expertise involved in the field of population-based biobanks. P³G brings the research community closer together, in person – at events held around the world – and online through The Observatory, a publicly accessible knowledge database where users have access to tools, studies and other resources to optimize the design of biobanks or facilitate harmonization and collaboration with other biobanks. These tools and strategies are developed with and for the research community and benefits from hands-on field expertise of a roster of researchers. P³G members are encouraged to share their findings, ideas, innovative tools and know-how with the broader research community through the P³G network, where tools are optimized and disseminated, building a powerful network for potential collaboration.

Principles of transparency and collaboration are integral to the P³G approach. All P³G resources such as tools, research projects, publications, etc., are developed with input from the international P³G community and intended to help the entire biomedical community. While P³G members share their knowledge, tools and methodologies, each study has distinctive traits and retains control over its data and samples.

Members may submit proposals to the P³G Board and which are consistent with P³G scientific goals and methods. These are drafted by the Steering Committee and submitted to the Board for approval. The Steering Committee meets at least twice a year at P³G General Meetings to determine and find ways to address major themes and challenges faced by the international genomics community.

An Executive Steering Committee (ESC) ensures continuity through monthly meetings that review and validate the scientific work produced by staff, P³G cores, etc. The ESC also serves as advisor for P³G meeting programs.

Members of the ESC are: Professor Paul Burton (Chief Science Officer), Dr. Bartha Maria Knoppers, Professor Tom Hudson, Mylène Deschênes (P³G Executive Director), Denis Legault (P³G Administrative Director), and the P³G IWG leaders and co-leaders.

P³G is administered by an international Board of Directors elected by P³G Charter and Associate members. These members represent leading biobanks and international public organizations working on large-scale genetic and epidemiological studies.

Initial funding for P³G was authorized following a review by an international review board. By law, P³G is required to undergo an external financial audit at least once a year. Moreover, P³G must submit scientific and financial reports to its funding agencies on a regular basis.

P³G was incorporated in 2004, less than a year after it was conceived by international researchers working in the field of population genomics and who have been at the forefront of establishing large-scale population biobank research infrastructures intended to serve multiple research purposes. Under the leadership of Professor Bartha Maria Knoppers and Dr. Thomas Hudson, three founding biobank members: CaG (Dr. Claude Laberge), Estonian Genome Project (Dr. Andres Metspalu) and GenomEUtwin (Dr. Leena Peltonen) laid the foundation for P³G. P³G also gratefully acknowledges the long-time support of WellcomeTrust.

P³G is funded primarily by Genome Canada and Genome Québec. Additional sources of funding come from fees paid for by one-time Charter and Associate memberships.

P³G is hosted by University of Montreal.