When was the Human Genome Project launched?
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The Human Genome Project was officially launched in 1990. It was an ambitious international scientific research program whose main objective was to determine the complete sequence of human DNA and map all the genes in the human genome.
This project marked a major turning point in the history of genetics, medicine and molecular biology, providing the first comprehensive basis for understanding how our genetic heritage works.
The main objective was to sequence the 3.2 billion base pairs (the chemical letters of DNA) that make up the human genome, and to identify human genes (around 20,000 to 25,000). It also involved :
- Physical and genetic mapping of chromosomes;
- Analysis of genetic variations between individuals;
- Development of new technologies to speed up sequencing;
- the creation of databases accessible to researchers;
- Studying the ethical, legal and social implications of genomics.
The Human Genome Project was coordinated primarily by the USA, through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Department of Energy (DOE). The project soon spread worldwide, with the participation of research institutes in the UK, France, Germany, Japan, China and Canada.
This international collaboration enabled tasks to be divided between different laboratories, with each team focusing on one or more chromosomes.
Initially scheduled to last 15 years, the project has progressed faster than expected thanks to technological advances in molecular biology and computer science. A draft of the genome was published in 2001, and the complete version of the human genome was released in 2003, two years ahead of schedule, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of Watson and Crick’s discovery of the structure of DNA.
The project established that the human genome comprises between 20,000 and 25,000 genes, far fewer than scientists had originally thought. It also revealed that only 1-2% of our DNA codes for proteins, the remainder playing a regulatory role or one that is still poorly understood to this day.
The Human Genome Project has paved the way for a new era in medicine, known as genomic medicine or personalized medicine. Thanks to knowledge of the genome, researchers can :
- Better understand genetic diseases;
- Identify predispositions to certain pathologies;
- Develop targeted treatments;
- Improve early diagnosis tools;
- Advance in fields such as gene therapy and precision oncology.
It has also fostered the development of new professions (bioinformatics, clinical genetics, biomedical ethics) and fuelled numerous debates on the use of genetic data.
The Human Genome Project, launched in 1990 and completed in 2003, has profoundly altered our understanding of human biology. By mapping the entire human genome, it has laid the foundations of modern genetics and enabled major advances in health, basic research and biomedical technologies. It is one of the most important scientific projects of the 20th century.
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When was the Human Genome Project launched?
Answer
The Human Genome Project was officially launched in 1990, with the aim of mapping the entire human genome within fifteen years.