2005 National DNA Day Online Chatroom Transcript
This is just one question from an archive of the National DNA Day Moderated Chat held in April 2005. The NHGRI Director and many genomics experts from across NHGRI took questions from students, teachers and the general public on topics ranging from basic genomic research, to the genetic basis of disease, to ethical questions about genetic privacy.
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Is there current plans to study other animals' genomes?
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Eric Green, M.D., Ph.D.: Genome scientists around the world are actively sequencing the genomes of many other organisms, from bacteria to mammals. The genome sequences of mammals and other vertebrates will be particularly valuable for helping us determine the functional parts of the human genome. This field of 'comparative genomics' uses the evolutionary history recorded in each species' genome to reveal clues about what has and has not been retained in our genomes over millions of years of evolution. Such information provides powerful clues about what parts of our genome perform key functions, such as encoding for proteins or regulating when and/or where certain genes are switched on. |
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