A sequence chromatograph showing a DNA sequence and a DNA sample from the Human Genome Mapping project conducted by the Cambridge Medical Research Council. / CFP Scientists have published the first complete, non-empty human genome sequence, two decades after the Human Genome Program produced the first human genome sequence design. The findings were published Thursday in six articles in the journal Science. According to the researchers, the existence of a complete, non-empty sequence of about 3 billion letters in human DNA is crucial for understanding the full spectrum of the human genomic variant and for understanding the genetic contribution to certain diseases. The project was carried out by the research team from the Telomere to Telomere (T2T) consortium, an open, community-based effort to create the first complete human genome assembly. The team was led by researchers from the US National Institute of Human Genome Research (NHGRI). University of California, Santa Cruz; and University of Washington, Seattle. The full sequence of the human genome will now be particularly valuable for studies that aim to create comprehensive views of the human genomic variant or how human DNA differs, according to the NHGRI. “Creating a truly complete human genome sequence represents an incredible scientific breakthrough, providing the first complete view of our DNA profile,” said Eric Green, NHGRI Director. “This fundamental information will reinforce the many ongoing efforts to understand all the functional nuances of the human genome, which in turn will enhance genetic studies of human disease,” Green said. (Cover image via CFP) Source (s): Xinhua News Agency
