Unlocking the Secrets of the Genome

Abstract

The primary objective of the Human Genome Project was to produce high-quality sequences not just for the human genome but also for those of the chief model organisms: Escherichia coli, yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), worm (Caenorhabditis elegans), fly (Drosophila melanogaster) and mouse (Mus musculus). Free access to the resultant data has prompted much biological research, including development of a map of common human genetic variants (the International HapMap Project)1, expression profiling of healthy and diseased cells2 and in-depth studies of many individual genes. These genome sequences have enabled researchers to carry out genetic and functional genomic studies not previously possible, revealing new biological insights with broad relevance across the animal kingdom 3, 4.