| |
 |
First genome sequence published
|
SCIENTISTS will publish the initial sequence of the human genome today in a breakthrough that promises to revolutionize the understanding and treatment of diseases.
The sequencing of 3.1 billion letters of DNA shows humans are made up of about 30,000-40,000 genes, considerably fewer than earlier estimates of 60,000-100,000 genes, and only about twice as many as the earthworm and fruit fly.
Scientists say identifying all the genes and what they do will herald a new age in science and medicine, vastly accelerating the diagnosis and treatment, as well as potential preventions and cures, for disease.
The sequence is just the beginning and will not be fully finished for several years but it is already revealing its secrets — far fewer genes, where they come from, the complexity of proteins and what makes us different from other organisms.
The biggest initial impact of the human genome is expected to be on drug development, customizing drugs to individual genetic profiles and earlier diagnosis of disease.
The sequence has already allowed scientists to identify more than 1.4 million SNPS, single nucleotide polymorphisms — variations in the three billion letters of the human genetic code.
SNPS are single changes in the arrangement of those letters that make people different. They hold the key to susceptibility to illnesses such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease and individual responses to medication.
The Human Genome Project, the publicly funded international collaboration of 20 groups of scientists from the United States, Britain, Japan, France, Germany and China, completed the working draft of the human genetic code in June.(SD-Agencies)
|
|
|
|
