Article by Bobbie Johnson, San Francisco, October 07 2008 It took hundreds of scientists 13 years and $3bn (£1.7bn) to decode the human genome: now one company says it is ready to slash the cost of reading your DNA to just $5,000. California-based Complete Genomics has announced that it will begin offering the service later this month, after developing new methods that reduce the price of sequencing a human genome. According to Clifford Reid, the company's chairman and chief executive, the... Read Full Story
Human Genome Project; An introduction to the ongoing Human Genome Project. The dynamic 3D animation will take you “inside” for a close up look at the complexity of the cell. Completed in 2003, the Human Genome Project (HGP) was a 13-year project coordinated by the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Institutes of Health. During the early years of the HGP, the Wellcome Trust (U.K.) became a major partner; additional contributions came from Japan, France, Germany, China, and others. See... Read Full Story
Did you know that the human iris pattern is more unique than fingerprints? Though your retina can change with age, your iris remains intact. And no two iris blueprints are mathematically alike, even between identical twins and triplets. Iris Scan technology has been growing for several decades. Many secured registered-traveler programs in the US and Canada incorporate iris scanning as part of their standards - allowing registered travelers to breeze through airport security. In the UK the... Read Full Story
The importance of the Human Genome Project has raised many concerns, both biological and ethical. These questions are being addressed as the information generated by the project is being processed and used by people worldwide. 1) Privacy and confidentiality of the genetic information: Who owns the genetic information? 2) Right to use the genetic information by insurance companies, employers, courts, schools, adoption agencies, and so on: Who should have access to individual genetic... Read Full Story
Scientists are still far from identifying and characterizing all the proteins in the human body. However, incredible strides have been made to provide a foundation for protein research. This reaches to the source of proteins and ultimately the source of life. This foundation is laid by deciphering the entire genome sequence, or DNA (gene) sequence of an organism. Beginning with bacteria, microscopic worms, and yeast, scientists and computational biologists have expanded DNA sequence... Read Full Story
Genetics is the study of how living things receive common traits from previous generations. These traits are described by the genetic information carried by a molecule called DNA. The instructions for constructing and operating an organism are contained in the organism's DNA. Every living thing on earth has DNA in its cells. Genes are the hereditary components of DNA that occupy spots on chromosomes and determine characteristics in an organism. Genes are passed on from parent to child and... Read Full Story
identify all the approximately 20,000-25,000 genes in human DNA, determine the sequences of the 3 billion chemical base pairs that make up human DNA, store this information in databases, improve tools for data analysis, transfer related technologies to the private sector, and address the ethical, legal, and social issues (ELSI) that may arise from the project. The goals of the original HGP were not only to determine all 3 billion base pairs in the human genome with a minimal... Read Full Story
Complete Genomics, which offers DNA analysis services to drugmakers and other companies, will begin in June to sequence human genomes for $5,000, a far cry from the $2.3 billion the first sequencing cost in 2003. The service will be offered to drugmakers, biotechnology companies, and academic centers, said Clifford Reid, chairman and chief executive officer of the closely held Mountain View, California-based company, in a telephone interview. It won’t be available to individuals. Studying... Read Full Story
In the early 1970s, scientists proposed "gene surgery" for treating inherited diseases caused by faulty genes. The idea was to take out the disease-causing gene and surgically implant a gene that functioned properly. Although sound in theory, scientists, then and now, lack the biological knowledge or technical expertise needed to perform such a precise surgery in the human body. However, in 1983, a group of scientists from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, proposed that gene... Read Full Story
In the early 1970s, scientists proposed "gene surgery" for treating inherited diseases caused by faulty genes. The idea was to take out the disease-causing gene and surgically implant a gene that functioned properly. Although sound in theory, scientists, then and now, lack the biological knowledge or technical expertise needed to perform such a precise surgery in the human body. However, in 1983, a group of scientists from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, proposed that gene... Read Full Story
