The Portable Legal Consent for Common Genomics Research, developed by the Consent to Research project, a system through which users can donate their data to databases that remove identifying details, has received approval from ethics reviewers..

As soon as May, anyone will be able to sign the consent and begin contributing their own data to the database.

John Wilbanks, head of Consent to Research, says that the project aims to give researchers access to the expanding universe of data being collected through new avenues such as direct-to-consumer genomic testing, devices such as FitBit that collect data on people’s daily habits, and lab tests ordered through medical providers.