As the master blueprint for building humans turns 20, researchers are both celebrating the landmark achievement and looking for ways to bolster its shortcomings.
The Human Genome Project — which built the blueprint, called the human reference genome — has changed the way medical research is conducted, says Ting Wang, a geneticist at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. “It’s highly, highly valuable.”
For instance, before the project, drugs were developed by serendipity, but having the master blueprint led to the development of therapies that could specifically target certain biological processes. As a result, more than 2,000 drugs aimed at specific human genes or proteins have been approved.
The Human Genome Project — which built the blueprint, called the human reference genome — has changed the way medical research is conducted, says Ting Wang, a geneticist at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. “It’s highly, highly valuable.”
For instance, before the project, drugs were developed by serendipity, but having the master blueprint led to the development of therapies that could specifically target certain biological processes. As a result, more than 2,000 drugs aimed at specific human genes or proteins have been approved.
