The Human Genome Project

Life on earth is defined by Deoxyribonucleic Acid. DNA is the genetic code that makes up each and every organism on the planet. This combination of genes programs for how the organism will look, behave, and survive. In all life, DNA is the basic building block that allows for such variation, biodiversity, and the existence of organisms at all. Thus, the genetic code of humans, one of the most complex creatures on the planet, is extremely important in defining exactly what is “human”. In any given person, the compilation of all their DNA is called a genome, but up until around the year 2003, what actually made up the human genome was much a mystery. It was known that DNA existed with Adenine, Thymine, Cytosine, and Guanine components arranged in pairs, but it was the order of these pairs that was of most significance. Yet, this is what was unknown. The very genetic code that defines what “human” means was previously completely foreign. This code, one of the most basic aspects of human existence, was largely uncharted. In a true display of Cromulist values and over a period of thirteen years, the mysteries of the human genome were uncovered.

The Human Genome Project was a publicly funded, international venture that spanned thirteen years (from 1990 until 2003). Unlike many other notable advances in human knowledge and technology, this one was made possible through intense collaboration between nations, corporations, and scientists. The project revolved around two key principles, the first being that it welcomed collaborators from any nation in an effort to move beyond borders to establish an all-inclusive effort aimed at understanding shared molecular heritage, and benefit from diverse approaches. The second principle was this project required that all human genome sequence information be freely and publicly available within 24 hours of its assembly. The combination of these two principles allowed for selfish and bureaucratic reasons of pursuing this goal to be set aside. Focus simply on the pursuit of knowledge of the human genome just for the sake of knowledge is truly representative of the inherent values of Cromulism. The project began with sequencing smaller yeast and worm genomes as a test run for sequencing the larger, more complex human genome. When the yeast and worm efforts proved successful, the sequencing of the human genome proceeded with full force. The first phase of working on the human genome was called the “shotgun phase”, which divided human chromosomes into DNA segments of an appropriate size, which were then further subdivided into smaller, overlapping DNA fragments that were sequenced. This process relied upon the physical map of the human genome established earlier, which served as a platform for generating and analyzing the massive amounts of DNA sequence data that emerged from the shotgun phase. The next phase was the “finishing phase”, which involved filling in gaps and resolving DNA sequences in ambiguous areas not obtained during the shotgun phase. With the “shotgun phase” yielding roughly ninety percent of the human genome sequence in draft form, its combination with the “finishing phase” resulted in an extremely thorough depiction of human genome. By 2003, roughly ninety nine percent of the human genome’s almost three billion base pairs had been sequenced, with an error rate of approximately one in one hundred thousand. This was an extremely important accomplishment for not only biology and medicine, but for humans as a whole.

The implications of this sequencing are astronomical, and as technology continues to progress, applications of the human genome in advanced medicine and genetic modification will prove to be extremely beneficial to the human race. The cooperation involved in completing the project demonstrates Cromulist values within not just one or a few people, but many who dedicated much of their time and lives to discovering the secrets of the human genome.