Summary
MR-Base is a curated platform that democratises two-sample Mendelian randomization by integrating complete GWAS results with automated analysis tools, sensitivity analyses, and a continuously updated database. The resource enables hypothesis-driven causal inference across millions of potential phenotypic relationships without requiring individual-level data. This infrastructure facilitates rigorous phenome-wide association studies whilst addressing common methodological challenges such as horizontal pleiotropy.
UK applicability
As an open-access platform developed by UK researchers, MR-Base is directly applicable to UK epidemiological research and genetic study design. UK-based researchers can utilise the platform to investigate causal relationships relevant to human health and nutrition phenotypes, though the underlying GWAS datasets reflect predominantly European ancestry populations.
Key measures
Database size (11 billion SNP-trait associations from 1673 GWAS); platform capabilities (API, web app, R packages); sensitivity analyses for horizontal pleiotropy and assumption violations
Outcomes reported
The study describes development and deployment of MR-Base, a platform integrating curated GWAS results with automated two-sample Mendelian randomization tools. The platform enables systematic evaluation of causal relationships between phenotypes at scale, currently incorporating 11 billion SNP-trait associations from 1673 GWAS studies.
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