On the right-hand side, there is a video giving an introduction to the Human Genome Project. The dynamic 3D animation will take you "inside" for a close up look at the complexity of the cell. |
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Scientists over decades have explored and mapped lands, oceans and the heavens with the expectation of increasing our awareness of the environment in which we live. Underlying this search for knowledge is also the desire to improve human existence through the discovery of beneficial resources. The Human Genome Project (HGP) has served to explore our genetic environment to make us aware of the beneficial resources that might contribute to understanding and improving our lives. The HGP involves the discovery and sequence of the full DNA complement in a single human somatic cell. Its primary goal is a listing and location of our genes — the single unit of heredity responsible for how we develop from conception, how we grow and mature, how we live, and how we die.[4]
The
Human Genome Project (HGP), officially spanning the years 1990 to 2003, was an
international research effort to determine the sequence of the three billion
bases of DNA that constitute our blueprint—the
human genome. Coordinated by the U.S. National Institutes of Health and the
Department of Energy, scientists from China, France, Germany, Japan, the United
Kingdom and the United States deposited DNA sequence data in public databases
posted on the Internet not only for their own collaborative efforts but also
for use by other scientists and the public.
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Beyond
developing comprehensive genetic databases, the HGP fostered a sustained effort
to improve the techniques used to map and sequence genetic material, thereby
training a whole generation of scientists in a short period of time and
reducing the costs of genetic research. While different in
scope from previous biomedical research, the Human Genome Project will continue
to yield a harvest of information that will drive the research
enterprise for at least the next 100 years.[5]
The Human
Genome Project (HGP) was an immense International enterprise: probably the
biggest biological experiment yet attempted. Researchers worked together to
read the entire sequence of the DNA letters (bases) in the human genome - more than 3,000,000,000 of
them.
The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute is a genome research centre set up in 1992 by the Wellcome Trust and the Medical Research Council to further our knowledge of genomes, and in particular to play a substantial role in the sequencing and interpretation of the human genome.
The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute is a genome research centre set up in 1992 by the Wellcome Trust and the Medical Research Council to further our knowledge of genomes, and in particular to play a substantial role in the sequencing and interpretation of the human genome.
Now -
with the 'finished' human sequence released - anyone with an Internet
connection can access the decoded human genome and even print it out in the order that the letters appear.
Being able to read out the sequence of bases will not actually tell us what each section of the genome does. However, it is a vital piece of infrastructure and an essential step towards understanding more about ourselves. Research based on this sequence is already providing information about how our bodies develop and function, and what happens when things go wrong. In the future, we expect this information to lead to new or improved medical tests and therapies.[6] |
INTRODUCTION TO HUMAN GENOME PROJECT
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The Human Genome Project Completion: Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How large is the human genome sequence?
>>> Our genetic code consists of slightly more than three billion (3,200,000,000) letters (bases) distributed among our 23 pairs of chromosomes. If this were printed as pages in a paperback book (typically, 2800 letters per page), it would take about one million pages, or about 5000 books, or a stack of books 70 m (220 feet) high. Of course, modern technology means that, if we compress the sequence data in a computer, it will fit on an ordinary CD.
Q. Where can I download the human genome sequence from?
>>> The Human Genome Project (HGP) places human DNA sequence in the public domain every night. Many sites around the world have copies of the sequence. The main databases are held by: "http://www.ddbj.nig.ac.jp/" The DNA Data Bank of Japan - DDBJ; "http://www.ebi.ac.uk/" The European Bioinformatics Institute; "http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/" GenBank.
Q. Whose DNA is being sequenced?
>>> The DNA that is being sequenced comes from anonymous donations made in the USA. A number of people gave a sample of their DNA. Several samples were chosen at random from the selection and these went on to be sequenced. It is not actually one person's DNA that is being sequenced but in fact the DNA of several individuals, the identity of whom is completely unknown. Everyone's genome sequence has variations. In fact, each of us has two genomes - we inherit one from our father and one from our mother. The Human Genome Project sequence will provide a reference sequence that will provide an outline of everyone's genome. Obviously we all have a great number of genes in common, for example, the majority of people share the gene that codes for insulin or the gene that codes for haemoglobin. Everyone also has various individual differences in their DNA code. These differences are known as single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). There are several projects underway around the world that aim to identify and to map individual differences to specific regions of DNA.[7]
Q. Is the human genome completely sequenced?
>>> Yes - within the limits of today's technology, the human genome is as complete as it can be. Small gaps that are unrecoverable in any current sequencing method remain, amounting for about 1 percent of the gene-containing portion of the genome, or euchromatin. New technologies will have to be invented to obtain the sequence of these regions.
However, the gene-containing portion of the genome is complete in nearly every functional way for the purposes of scientific research and is freely and publicly available. Even though the Human Genome Project is now completed, scientists will continue to develop and apply new technologies to the few remaining refractory problems.[8]