| 3. | Perilous Knowledge: The Human Genome Project and Its Implications
Hardcover by Tom Wilkie. The Human Genome Project has been called a scientific "search for the Holy Grail" or the genetics equivalent of the moon race. Thousands of researchers worldwide are analyzing the details of human DNA, hoping to identify all of the tens of thousands of human genes that are the blueprint for the human body. Physicist and writer Tom Wilkie offers a lively, compelling history of this scientifically fascinating and politically contentious undertaking. Beginning with the discovery of DNA by James Watson and Francis Crick in 1953, Wilkie's narrative unfolds with the intrigue of a detective story. He reviews in nontechnical terms the many step-by-step developments from different scientific teams that finally made it seem as if it would be possible to sequence the human genome. He goes on to consider the potential social consequences, good and bad, of learning to manipulate the human genetic code. What will happen as we try to prevent and cure disease or attempt to "improve" ourselves and our children by genetic means? A most readable introduction to the science of genetics and the potential consequences of the Human Genome Project, Perilous Knowledge provides background for the startling headlines that quite possibly signal changes to all human life in the next century. "After decades of painstaking research, seemingly disparate paths into the sciences of molecular biology, chemistry, biology and genetics have converged. Suddenly the scientists realize that they are . . . at the peak of a mountain where all the surrounding landscape is clear to their view. They are confident now that they can tackle one of the biggest and most profound issues in their science: unravelling the message of human inheritance."from the Preface
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| 6. | The Human Genome Project
VHS Tape. Completed in 2003, the Human Genome Project (HGP) was a 13-year project coordinated by the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Institutes of Health. During the early years of the HGP, the Wellcome Trust (U.K.) became a major partner; additional contributions came from Japan, France, Germany, China, and others. See our history page for more information.
Project goals were to
identify all the approximately 20,000-25,000 genes in human DNA,
determine the sequences of the 3 billion chemical base pairs that make up human DNA,
store this information in databases,
improve tools for data analysis,
transfer related technologies to the private sector, and
address the ethical, legal, and social issues (ELSI) that may arise from the project.
Though the HGP is finished, analyses of the data will continue for many years. Follow this ongoing research on our Progress page. An important feature of the HGP project was the federal government's long-standing dedication to the transfer of technology to the private sector. By licensing technologies to private companies and awarding grants for innovative research, the project catalyzed the multibillion-dollar U.S. biotechnology industry and fostered the development of new medical applications.
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