National Human Genome Research Institute

The Human Genome Project (HGP) was one of the great feats of exploration in history - an inward voyage of discovery rather than an outward exploration of the planet or the cosmos; an international research effort to sequence and map all of the genes - together known as the genome - of members of our species, Homo sapiens. Completed in April 2003, the HGP gave us the ability, for the first time, to read nature's complete genetic blueprint for building a human being.

In this section, you will find access to a wealth of information on the history of the HGP, its progress, cast of characters and future.

• Educational Resources
• General Information
• Research
• Model Organisms

A Quarter Century after the Human Genome Project's Launch: Lessons Beyond the Base Pairs
October 1, 2015 marked the 25^th anniversary of the launch of the Human Genome Project. To commemorate this anniversary the NHGRI History of Genomics Program is hosting a seminar series entitled "A Quarter Century after the Human Genome Project's Launch: Lessons Beyond the Base Pairs." 

Educational Resources

• An Interactive Timeline of the Human Genome [unlockinglifescode.org]
  An interactive, hyper-linked timeline of genetics that takes the reader from Mendel (1865) to the completion of the mapping of the human genome (2003).
   
• The Human Genome: A Decade of Discovery, Creating a Healthy Future
  A workshop for science reporters about the 10th anniversary of the completion of the draft sequence of the human genome and to look at the future of genomic research.
   
• Understanding the Human Genome Project
  NHGRI's Online Education Kit
   
• An Overview of the Human Genome Project
  A brief overview of the HGP.
   
• 50 Years of DNA: From Double Helix to Health
  Information about the celebration of the completion of the HGP and the 50th anniversary of the discovery of the double helix structure of DNA.
   
• Genetic and Genomic Image and Illustration Database
  A free and helpful online resource whether you are looking for an image for a school report, a publication, or a slide show. Categories include: cells, chromosomes, genes, DNA, ACGT, microscopic images and genetic conditions.
   
• HGP News Archive
  Links to news releases announcing key moments in the history of the HGP.

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General Information

• Unlocking Life's Code
  Explore the NHGRI/Smithsonian exhibition
   
• A Guide to Your Genome
  Comprehensive and easy to understand information about your genome.
   
• Human Genome Project [report.nih.gov]
  A general fact sheet on the Human Genome Project from the National Institutes of Health.
   
• The Human Genome Project Completion: Frequently Asked Questions
  Background information about the HGP created for the media.
   
• Human Genome Project Goals
  Includes definitions of key terms.
   
• What's Next? Turning Genomics Vision Into Reality
  Information about NHGRI projects made possible by the completion of the HGP.
   
• The Future of Genomics
  Testimony Before the United States House of Representatives on May 22, 2003.
   
• International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium
  A list of the sequencing centers that participated in the HGP.
   
• About the National Human Genome Research Institute: A History and Timeline
  Highlights key events in the history of the HGP.
   
• Long-Range Planning
  Basic information about NHGRI's long-range planning.
   
• Budget and Financial Information
  Frequently Asked Questions about the NHGRI budget.

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Research

• Charting a course for genomic medicine from base pairs to bedside
  The NHGRI Strategic Plan: A vision, developed in consultation with leading genome researchers over more than two years and published in February 2011, to inspire the advancment of genomic understanding.
   
• Gene Discoveries for Common Complex Diseases 1990 - 2007
  A slide illustrating the genes discovered, along with concurrent NIH initiatives, since the beginning of the Human Genome Project.
   
• Cumulative Pace of Gene Discovery 1981 - 2005
  A bar chart illustrating the number of disease genes identified from 1981 to 2005.
   
• A Vision for the Future of Genomics Research
  A scientific report published in April 2003 that describes the future of the field of genomics.
   
• New Goals for the U.S. Human Genome Project: 1998-2003
  Originally published in 1998 in Science.
   
• Understanding Our Genetic Inheritance
  The U.S. HGP, the First Five Years: Fiscal Years 1991-1995
   
• A New Five-Year Plan for the United States Human Genome Project
  Originally published in 1993 in Science.
   
• Ethical, Legal and Social Implications (ELSI) Research Program
  The continuing research program established by NHGRI at the outset of the HGP that examines the ethical, legal and social implications of human genetic research.

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Model Organisms

Integral to the HGP were similar efforts to understand the genomes of various organisms commonly used in biomedical research, such as mice, fruit flies and roundworms. Such organisms are called "model organisms," because they serve as research models for how the human organism behaves.

• The NHGRI Genome Sequencing Program
  The sequencing program of the National Human Genome Research Institute has expanded beyond the Large-scale Genome Sequencing and Analysis Centers in response to changing scientific opportunities and the Strategic Plan for Genomics. The program is comprised of Large-Scale Genome Sequencing and Analysis Centers (LSAC), Centers for Mendelian Genomics (CMG), Clinical Sequencing Exploratory Research (CSER), and Genome Sequencing Informatics Tools (GS-IT)
   
• Comparative Genomics
  Background information prepared for the media on comparing the genomes of other species to the human sequence.
   
• Background on Comparative Genomic Analysis
   
• New Process to Prioritize Animal Genomes For Cloning and Sequencing
  October 2001 News Release.
   
• NHGRI Adds Cow and Dog To High Priority List For Sequencing Model Organisms
  September 2002 News Release.
   
• The Mouse Genome And The Measure of Man
  December 2002 News Release.
   
• Background on Mouse as a Model Organism
   
• Background on the History of the Mouse
   
• Progress Made in Sequencing of Model Organisms' Genomes
  May 2003 News Release.
   
• Report from the NIH/NIAID/Wellcome Trust Workshop on Model Organism Databases

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Last Updated: October 1, 2015