50 Years of DNA Celebration

	April 2003
	Events
	Topic Specific Symposia
	Other Resources

In April 2003, NHGRI celebrated the historic culmination of one of the most important scientific projects in history: the sequencing of the human genome. In addition, April 2003 marked the 50th anniversary of another momentous achievement in biology: James Watson and Francis Crick's Nobel Prize winning description of the DNA double helix. Furthermore, in April 2003, NHGRI published in Nature a landmark scientific report that describes the future of the field of genomics, and the role the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), parts of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other government agencies, will play in enabling that future. Additionally, the Department of Energy's (DOE) plan for the future of genomics, Genomes to Life, is featured. To mark these achievements in the history of science and medicine, the NHGRI, the NIH and the DOE held a month-long series of scientific, educational, cultural and celebratory events across the United States. For more information on the April 2003 Celebration of The Genome, send an e-mail through our Questions and Feedback page. A Vision for the Future of Genomics Research The vision for the future of NHGRI and genomics research published in Nature.

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• From Double Helix to Human Sequence - and Beyond April 14th and 15th, 2003.
  A two-day, scientific symposium where more than 35 participants discuss the science and history of the Human Genome Project.
   
• Bringing the Genome to You April 15th, 2003.
  A half-day, public symposium on how genomics influences health and society.
   
• National DNA Day
  Educational activities and programs in genetics and genomics for April 2003 and throughout the school year.
   
  • Senate Congressional Resolution Designating National DNA Day
     
  • House Resolution Designating National DNA Day
     
  • Activities and Exhibits at Science Museums
     
    • A DNA Kit and Science Museum Activities nationwide offer DNA demonstrations and hands-on experiments in genetics and genomics.
       
    • Genome: The Secret of How Life Works [genome.pfizer.com]
      Sponsored by Pfizer, this traveling exhibit is produced by Clear Channel Exhibitions in collaboration with National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services and the Whitehead Institute/MIT Center for Genome Research.

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Genetic Variation and Gene X Environment Interactions in Human Health and Disease 
April 16th, 2003.
A morning scientific symposium at NIH sponsored by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) [niehs.nih.gov].
 

Genes, Brain, Behavior: Before and Beyond Genomics [nimh.nih.gov]
April 16th, 2003.
An all-day scientific symposium at NIH sponsored by the National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH) [nimh.nih.gov] and other NIH Institutes.

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Other Resources

50th Anniversary Activities and Celebrations Worldwide

Media Inquiries:
Geoff Spencer
Phone: (301) 402-0911
E-mail: spencerg@mail.nih.gov

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Last Updated: June 7, 2013