China Rushes to Surpass U.S. in Decoding Citizens' Genes

CHENGDU, China—In this western Chinese city famed for panda conservation, scientists are advancing the world’s most ambitious effort to save a far less-endangered species: humans.

Their goal is to collect and analyze vast amounts of genetic data from Chinese citizens to help unearth the causes of diseases from cancer to schizophrenia, and pave the way for novel treatments.

Scientists here hope to identify mutations, or...