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The publication of the first drafts of the human genome launched a new era in biological discovery, collapsing the number of expected genes, but vastly expanding the understanding of genetic regulation. Now, as researchers pump out individual genomes and genomic analyses by the tens of thousands, the field is contending with some of the same central conflicts regarding data availability, equity and privacy. This special looks at what the 20 years in a post-genome world has wrought, and what to expect in the next 20.
The past two decades have witnessed extraordinary technological and computational advances in nucleic acid sequencing.This Milestone timeline provides a perspective of major genomic sequencing-related developments in the 21st century.
Data sharing was a core principle that led to the success of the Human Genome Project 20 years ago. Now scientists are struggling to keep information free.
A new analysis traces the story of the draft genome’s impact on genomics since 2001, linking its effects on publications, drug approvals and understanding of disease.
Since the human genome was published in 2001, many of the gaps in the original sequence have been filled in, offering a more detailed understanding of genome regulation, structure and function.
Mendelian diseases are caused by mutations in a single gene. The first draft of the human genome, published in 2001, had broad implications for how these diseases are diagnosed, managed and prevented.
In the 20 years since the first drafts of the human genome were made public, an explosion in genome sequencing has revealed how our evolutionary history and health can be understood by analysing the diversity in our genomes.