Human Genome Project / HGP

The Human Genome Project was an international research project that sequenced all of the genes found in humans. This ambitious project began in 1990 and concluded in 2003. One goal of the project was to accurately sequence the 3 billion nucleotide base pairs in the human genome. A second goal was to map and identify all of the human genes present in the DNA sequence. (The number of genes is currently estimated to be between 20,000 and 25,000.) An additional aim of the Human Genome Project was to publicly store all of the sequence information collected in Internet databases.

In order to sequence the human genome, the first portion of the Human Genome Project involved fragmenting chromosomes into large, overlapping segments. The fragments were then sequenced and assembled in order. Finally, any remaining gaps were sequenced. The success of the Human Genome Project provided scientists with a vast amount of information, which continues to be used to study the functions of unknown genes, understand human health, and identify genes associated with disease.

Along with sequencing the human genome, the Human Genome Project also involved sequencing the genomes of a number of other organisms, including yeast, E. coli, fruit flies, roundworms, and mice.