Spring 2002 web.ornl.gov（2002年春季web.ornl.gov）.pdfVIP

Spring 2002 The Human Genome Project: Sequencing the Future n 1986, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), convinced that its mission would be well served by a comprehensive picture of the human genome, took a bold and unilateral step by announcing Iits Human Genome Initiative—forerunner of the Human Genome Project.The immediate response was considerable skepticism about the technological capability to sequence the genome at a reasonable cost and even about the value of the result, if it could be obtained economically. Over a decade later, genome technologies and data are revolutionizing biology and providing a vital thrust to the increasingly broad scope of the biological sciences. Researchers have completed a rough draft of the human genome, with the high-quality finished version scheduled for completion by 2003. In addition to this major accomplishment, an array of newly completed model-organism genome sequences provides a useful tool for performing comparative studies that provide a better understanding of the human genome and a more comprehensive understanding of complex living systems.The expected impact on medicine and health care alone is inestimable.The growing knowl- edge base will also find a host of practical applications in many other critical areas, including those important to DOE missions. The Human Genome Project and DOE’s complementary genome programs—Genomes to Life, the Microbial Genome Program, and the Microbial Cell Project—ultimately will lead to the produc- tion of plentiful and cleaner energy resources that will help stabilize atmospheric carbon dioxide to counter global warming and ensure U.S. energy security by reducing our dependence on fossil fuels. The new findings also have the potential to provide tools for enhanced biothreat agent detection and response and for using genetically engineered microbes to clean up toxic wastes in contaminat- ed sites. Even as the HGP began in 1986, project managers,