It has involved numerous international collaborations, both public and privately funded research institutes, critical policy and funding decisions, and inevitably stirred up some controversies. Nature 's news team report on the progress of the Human Genome Project. It was the year of genomes. But there was more to 2000 than strings of 'A's, 'C's, 'G's and 'T's.
Nature explores some of the highs, lows and emerging trends behind the year's scientific headlines.
The changes mean increased support for genomics resource centres and large-scale genomics research. The future of the Daresbury Laboratory in northwest England, home of the United Kingdom's current synchrotron light source, seems brighter. The US National Institute of General Medical Sciences has launched the largest project to date to decipher protein structures. Preliminary discussions are taking place to create an international consortium of research workers in both public research institutions and private companies in structural genomics. One of the question marks hanging over cooperation in structural genomics is how and when the structures of proteins and other macromolecules should be made public.