Second , we need to see more genomes, with each one giving us a deeper insight into our own. Third , we need to learn how to take advantage of this book of life. Tools for scanning the activity levels of genes in different cells, tissues and settings are becoming available and are already revolutionizing how we do biological investigation. But we will have to move back from the general to the particular, because each gene is a story in itself and its full significance can be learned only from concentrating on its particular properties. Fourth , we need to turn our new genomic information into an engine of pharmaceutical discovery.
Individual humans differ from one another by about one base pair per thousand.
They can also provide information about our personal responses to medicines in this way, the pharmaceutical industry will get new targets and new tools to sharpen drug specificity. Moreover, the analysis of SNPs will provide us with the power to uncover the genetic basis of our individual capabilities such as mathematical ability, memory, physical coordination, and even, perhaps, creativity. Biology today enters a new era, mainly with a new methodology for answering old questions. As these and other questions get robust answers, biology will become an engine of transformation of our society. Instead of guessing about how we differ one from another, we will understand and be able to tailor our life experiences to our inheritance.