On May 9, some of the most respected scientists in human genome sequencing announced they would form a new genomics company that would complete the entire sequencing of the human genome within three years at a fraction of the cost of the 15 year government program. This hearing will explore what, if any, changes should be made to the government program in light of this development. A genome is all the DNA in an organism, including its genes.
Genes carry information for making all the proteins required by all organisms.
The human genome has 3 billion pairs of bases. Scientists consider the particular order of As, Ts, Cs and Gs extremely important. DNA sequence differences between people can reveal who is healthy and who is stricken by or susceptible to such diseases as cancer. Scientists in the program envision genetic tests that could indicate an individual s predisposition to disease. The ability to test for disease genes would allow medical programs to be designed for individuals that could alleviate or prevent disease.