Given all that has been learned of the genetic architecture of common diseases in the past few years, it may also be worthwhile to attempt exhaustive characterization of some well-studied traits by cataloguing all the contributing variation, be it in DNA sequence, DNA structure, chromatin structure, environmental modifiers, and defining all its functional implications. Potential criteria for deciding which traits to pursue aggressively in this way might include the strength and robustness of detected associations, evidence that associations are disrupted by varying linkage disequilibrium patterns, documented associations of identified loci with multiple traits, and public health importance of the traits to be studied.
