Primate Genomes

	Initiative Rationale
	Active Sequencing Projects
	Program Contacts

Initiative Rationale

Sequencing the genomes of members of the primate lineage will provide comparative sequence information that will have implications for the understanding of the genetic basis for human disease, and the genomic changes underlying hominid physiological and behavioral phenotypes. In addition, many primate species are significant biomedical research models.

For comparative sequence analysis within the primates, researchers will often focus on differences rather than conserved regions within genome sequences. The sequence assemblies for primates will thus generally be of high-quality and comprehensive enough to provide an unbiased view of how genomes have changed during relatively recent evolutionary time. In addition, some of the primate genomes (especially those of the great apes) will have additional data added to improve weak regions of high-quality assemblies.

Further information on this initiative is available in these white papers:

• Non-Human Primate Genome Sequencing
  (Submitted Jan. 2006)
  
  
• Report from the Annotating the Human Genome Working Group
  The Working Group identifies multiple broad categories of rationales for the additional sequencing of primate genomes.
  (Submitted April 2007)

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Active Sequencing Projects

For an updated list of the genomes that are actively being sequenced or that have been completed recently, please see Approved Sequencing Targets. Several primate genomes have been approved as individual projects that are listed on the Approved Sequencing Targets List.

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Program Contacts

Adam Felsenfeld, Ph.D.
Program Director
E-mail: felsenfa@mail.nih.gov

Jane Peterson, Ph.D.
Associate Director, Division of Extramural Research
E-mail: petersoj@mail.nih.gov

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Last Updated: June 20, 2008