Baylor is among three U.S. sites selected by the NIH's National Human Genome Research Institute to conduct the final phase of this historic project. The human genome is the collective name for the 100,000 genes in each cell of the human body. The genes are located along 23 chromosome pairs that are included in each cell. In each chromosome pair, the father contributes one chromosome and the mother contributes the other to make a complete set, with a total of 23 sets. When these bases are strung together, they direct the building of a protein.
Proteins help cells perform their functions.
Communicating this complex information to the lay public must be done in a user-friendly fashion, free of science jargon, said Cindy Bandemer, director of the museum's education and programs. The exhibit consists of five 12-foot tall interactive kiosk displays. Each display is connected to a world globe suspended above the center of the display area, symbolizing the global nature, significance and implications of the Human Genome Project. Kiosk 2 addresses genetic variations that result in our individual uniqueness and in genetically based conditions such as sickle cell anemia and Down syndrome. Kiosk 3 explains the Human Genome Project and offers a glimpse inside Baylor's Human Genome Sequencing Laboratory.