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​Human Genome Project

updated: March 18, 2024

Definition

The Human Genome Project was a large international, collaborative effort that mapped and sequenced the human genome for the first time. Conducted from 1990 to 2003, the project was historic in its scope and scale as well as its groundbreaking approach for the free release of genomic data well ahead of publication, leading to a new ethos for data sharing in biomedical research.



Narration

The boldest and most audacious research project ever conducted in the history of biomedical research was the Human Genome Project, humankind's first effort to completely decipher the sequences of the human genome as well as the genomes of a small set of heavily studied model organisms, like the mouse and the fruit fly. The Human Genome Project brought together thousands of researchers from around the world and from many different disciplines to pursue a laser-focused set of goals, with its signature accomplishment being the generation of the first sequence of the human genome

Eric Green
Eric Green, M.D., Ph.D.

Director

Office of the Director