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Sequencing Program Priorities

NHGRI continuously reviews priorities within the large-scale sequencing program in response to scientific need, the changing state of the science, and changing technologies and sequencing costs. Please see Process for Selecting New Sequencing Targets at The Large-scale Genome Sequencing Program for a description of the prioritization process.

March 2007

In February 2007, NHGRI together with the National Advisory Council for Human Genome Research (NACHGR) reviewed general priorities for approved sequencing targets. The resulting prioritization will help guide the selection of new sequencing targets going forward.

It is important to note that NHGRI will continue to consider new sequencing targets in all of the categories below. However, the prioritization does reflect the overall degree of enthusiasm with which NHGRI will approach future proposals for new sequencing targets.

Finally, NHGRI recognizes that a major factor in determining the actual order in which approved targets are entered into sequencing pipelines is the availability of samples. Often this factor will result in a lower priority target being done ahead of a higher priority one.

Priorities are indicated below from highest to lowest

Bin 1: Programs related to medical sequencing are the most immediate priority for the NHGRI centers. These include The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) [cancergenome.nih.gov], Genes, Environment and Health Initiative (GEI) [gei.nih.gov], and all projects that fall under the medical sequencing program.

Bin 2: Programs and sequencing projects that have a high degree of relevance for human health or annotating the human genome are high priority. These include the Survey of Human Structural Variation, Pathogens and Vectors, 2X coverage of mammals, Primate genomes and Sequencing of Reference Genomes of Human Microbiotas.

Y-chromosome resequencing and refinement of draft genomes are also in this priority bin.

Bin 3: Other projects that have relevance to annotation of the human genome, basic metazoan development, and basic population genetics have less immediate priority. These projects include components of Evolution of the Human Proteome (Coelacanth, Skate or Elephant Shark, and Hagfish), Origins of Multicellularity, and Population Genomics of Yeast.

Bin 4: NHGRI will maintain a commitment to other projects that have been approved such as draft coverage of mammals already sequenced to 2X depth, remaining components of Evolution of the Human Proteome (Turtle, Gar and a second Chondrichthyan), and miscellaneous individual species.

Previous Genomic Sequencing Targets

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Last Reviewed: August 15, 2008