2010 National DNA Day Online Chatroom Transcript

This is just one question from an archive of the National DNA Day Moderated Chat held in April 2010. 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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Why do we still use SNPs when the whole human genome has been sequenced?
     Sandy Woo, M.S.: I provide genetic counseling (risk assessment, education, facilitating decisions) to families and individuals with or who are at risk for birth defects and genetic conditions. While the majority of the human genome was sequenced (work remains on the centromeres and telomeres), we are still studying how the genome functions to affect human health and disease. That is where SNPs (which are found in the DNA between genes) are helpful as they serve as biological markers for scientists to locate genes associated with disease. In other words, scientists are still trying to "translate" the genome that it has been transcribed.
Roosevelt High School in WA (12th grade student)

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