We can hardly begin to imagine how complicated living organisms are, based on what we know about anything else. And yet, the tools that will begin to make this immense complexity somewhat manageable are now at hand. Developing these tools began almost 50 years ago, when James Watson and Francis Crick discovered the structure of DNA, the molecule that carries the genes of all living organisms on earth. In the intervening years, many scientists have helped gain a better understanding of this structure, and they have developed powerful techniques for mapping all of the genes of any organism in question. Today we have at hand the almost completed map of the entire human genome, as well as the genomes of numerous other organisms.
Most genetic diseases are probably very complex, involving numerous genes and environmental factors.
The new biology is beginning to get a handle on this, and will potentially change the paradigm of medicine from diagnosis and treatment to prediction and prevention. The Life Sciences Initiative attempts to answer questions about the origin and nature of life. The Initative is a large and contunually evolving effort. See the plans for the Institute . Read more about the Life Sciences Corridor .