The Human Genome Project

The Human Genome Project

Begun formally in 1990, the U.S. Human Genome Project is a 13-year

effort coordinated by the U.S. Department of Energy and the National

Institutes of Health. The project originally was planned to last 15

years, but rapid technological advances have accelerated the expected

completion date to 2003. Project goals are to

* identify all the approximate 30,000 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.

To help achieve these goals, researchers also are studying the genetic

makeup of several nonhuman organisms. These include the common human

gut bacterium Escherichia coli, the fruit fly, and the laboratory

mouse.

Why do the Human Genome Project?

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Most inherited diseases are rare, but taken together, the more than

3,000 disorders known to result from single altered genes rob millions

of healthy and productive lives. Today, little can be done to treat,

let alone cure, most of these diseases. But having a gene in hand

allows scientists to study its structure and characterize the

molecular alterations, or mutations, that result in disease. Progress

in understanding the causes of cancer, for example, has taken a leap

forward by the recent discovery of cancer genes. The goal of the Human

Genome Project is to provide scientists with powerful new tools to

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... a definitive sequence creates

uncertainty about the appropriate definition of "normal," which in

turn makes the discussion of public policy issues difficult. Questions

about controlling the manipulation of human genetic materials concerns

these critics, as does the idea that simply because these scientists

are able to do this science, they ought to. These critics point to the

development of atomic weapons and argue that the science that led to

their development caused far more problems than it resolved.

Few religious groups in the United States formally have addressed the

specific ethical and public policy issues raised by the HGP, although

there is active interdenominational discussion of issues related to

human genetics in general. Public policy debates are enriched

considerably by input from these various groups.