DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The international 1000 Genomes Project is designed to generate a new dataset of high resolution variation in the human genome to support various studies on human biology, including human population genetics, association studies and studies of human diseases. The genomes of more than 1000 anonymized individuals from 10 populations will be sequenced using state of the art sequencing technologies. This project is in response to a RFA (RFA-HG-09-002) for analyzing the dataset. It will focus on the area of estimating mutational parameter, characterizing linkage disequilibrium and detecting natural selection on various locations of the human genome. The primary aim is to develop new/or improve existing statistical methods based mostly on coalescent theory taking into consideration uniqueness of the large sample and unavoidable large uncertainties in the sequences. The newly developed or improved methods will be implemented in a user-friendly software package. RELEVANCE: Since one primary aim of the 1000 genomes project is to provide high resolution variation for studying human diseases, a proper understanding, such as through the research of this project, these data will be fundamental for their use for human biological studies, including medical research.