The Human Genome Project

human genome project maze mouse and cheese
The Human Genome Project is one of the most impressive and extensive research projects in the history of science. Although the project received a good deal of press upon completion, few people understand the scope and intent of the project.
 
So what is the Human Genome Project and what was its purpose? The goals of the Human Genome Project were to identify every human gene and to map the three billion chemical base pairs that form human DNA.

History of the Human Genome Project

The Human Genome Project began in 1990 with the support of the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Institutes of Health. The $3 billion project was given a 15 year timetable but was completed two years ahead of schedule in 2003.
 
The United Kingdom’s Welcome Trust joined the Human Genome Project soon after the project’s inception. Other nations that contributed to the project included:
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • Japan.
On June 26, 2000, U.S. President Bill Clinton and British Prime Minister Tony Blair announced that the Human Genome Project had completed a “rough draft” of the human genome. By April of 2003 the project had completed its goals and mapped the human genome picture.

The Human Genome Project

Results of the Human Genome Project

The Human Genome Project determined that approximately 20,500 human genes exist. This was a surprisingly small number, as earlier estimates suggested anywhere from 50,000 to 140,000 genes.
 
While the bulk of the Human Genome Project is complete, gaps still remain in the genome. The Human Genome Project completely sequenced 92 percent of human DNA. Much of the remaining genome is highly repetitive, although it may reveal surprises as it is sequenced.
 
Human Genome: Fun Facts
How does the human genome stack up against other organisms? It turns out some critters have larger genomes than homo sapiens. Compare our 20,500 genes to the following species:
  • Chimpanzee: 20,000 to 23,000 genes
  • Dog: 19,300 genes
  • Fruit fly: 14,000
  • Japanese Puffer Fish: 30,000 to 40,000 genes
  • Mouse: 22,500 to 30,000 genes.

While you might think humans and animals have the edge on plant life in the great genome race, consider this: The humble rice plant has between 46,000 to 55,600 genes.

Advantages of the Human Genome Project

The advantages of the human genome project are far-reaching. Medical researchers have already designed gene-based treatments for leukemia.
 
Human Genome Project information may usher in an era of personalized medical care, based on a patient's unique genome. If genetic testing, for example, indicates a high risk of lung cancer, lifestyle changes could be made to reduce the risk.
 
Medical professionals have known for years that individuals can react in radically different ways to the same medication. A drug that cures one person may have less effect on another. Side effects for medication differ widely from person to person. In the future doctors could use a patient’s genetic profile to determine which medications work best, and in what dosages.
 

More Human Genome Fun Facts

  • Any two individuals’ genomes are 99 percent alike.
  • The remaining one percent makes us all unique, determining everything from height and weight to eye color.
  • It’s an open secret that most of the DNA used in the Human Genome Project came from one anonymous male in Buffalo, New York.
  • The anonymous donor from Buffalo is known as code name RP11.
  • Every human egg or sperm contains 3 billion DNA sequences.

Ethics and the Human Genome Project

The Human Genome Project has taken a proactive position by acknowledging the ethical and legal issues involved in mapping the human genome. Since the beginning of the project, those involved have actively debated and considered the social, legal and ethical consequences of their research.
 
One of the most compelling questions to arise during the Human Genome Project was the question of genome ownership. Could an individual or corporation own the rights to a genetic sequence?
 
During the course of the Human Genome Project, a private company, Celera, was also mapping the human genome. Celera filed preliminary patent applications for 6,500 human genes. Their hopes of patenting genes were squashed in March 2000, when U.S. President Bill Clinton declared that the human genome could not be patented.
 
Other ethical questions the Human Genome Project has considered (and continues to consider) include:
  • genetic screening and medical insurance
  • genetic screening of the unborn
  • the possibility of “designer babies”
  • whether genome knowledge could be used against minorities or individuals
  • who can access an individual’s genetic profile.

Resources
 
Human Genome Program (2008). Ethical, legal, and social issues. Retrieved August 26, 2008, from the Human Genome Program Web site: www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/
Human_Genome/elsi/elsi.shtml.
 
Human Genome Program (2008). Human genome project information. Retrieved August 26, 2008, from the Human Genome Program Web site: www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/
Human_Genome/home.shtml.
 
National Human Genome Research Institute. (2008). An overview of the human genome project. Retrieved August 26, 2008, from the National Human Genome Research Institute Web site: www.genome.gov/12011238.
 
National Institute of Health. (2007). A guide to your genome. Retrieved August 26, 2008, from the National Human Genome Research Institute Web site: www.genome.gov/
Pages/Education/AllAbouttheHumanGenomeProject/GuidetoYourGenome07.pdf.
 
Wellcome Trust. (n.d.). Genetics and society. Retrieved August 26, 2008, from the Wellcome Trust Web site: www.genome.wellcome.ac.uk/geneticsandsociety/.