A report from Duke University and the Wellcome Trust today noted that a team of British and American scientists has completed the detailed genetic mapping of human chromosome 1, the largest single unit of genetic material in the human genome and the final chromosome to be completely sequenced.
"This achievement effectively closes the book on an important volume of the Human Genome Project, which was started in 1990 to identify the genes and DNA sequences that provide a 'blueprint' for human beings," said Simon G. Gregory, Ph.D., assistant professor at the Duke Center for Human Genetics and lead investigator on the study.
"Armed with this new information, researchers now have new tools for probing fundamental biological questions and examining the genetic factors involved in a range of diseases and medical conditions, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, cancer, autism and mental retardation," Gregory said.
We can hope that this research will allow epidemiologists to study antecedents of disease more closely and enhance prevention efforts.
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