While companies, universities, and the government race through the 3.5 billion letters in the human genome, a Texas scientist is trying to help everyone make some sense of the sequenced road map. Wired News delivered to your inbox or hand-held device. O G Y Sponsored by Ericsson phones and accessories .
Markers are strands of proteins that act as road signs leading researchers to a gene in a sequence.
By making this information and technology available free of charge, Garner believes he is helping researchers cut through the fog of the sequenced human genome and find the pieces that hold the key to an improved quality of life. This, says Garner, is where the real work of the gene research project begins. Building upon the work of the Human Genome Project, researchers are actively mining sequences of DNA in search of genes that, for example, make a person susceptible to different types of cancers. By finding these important genes, researchers can then target therapies and drugs to combat the condition. The information overload will only get worse as efforts to finish sequencing the human genome enter the home stretch.