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| How has your research changed our lives? | ||||
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In June 2000, the Human Genome Project, a cooperative undertaking by scientists from Europe, Japan, and the United States, announced the completion of a working draft sequence of the entire human genome. What this means is that we can now examine the sequence of the 3 billion or so base pairs in the human genome and for the most part identify what part of that sequence corresponds to an individual human gene--the basic unit of heredity, of which there are thought to be 30,000-40,000 in the human genome. This achievement has paved the way for a detailed analyses of all the genetic information encoded in the human genome. We are still a long way from understanding the role of each gene in the human body. But the process of mapping and analysis has already uncovered some useful information and is likely to yield much more. By mapping the normal sequence of base pairs, scientists will learn more about what genes are responsible for specific congenital conditions that can disable or kill and what sequences are associated with different types of physical constitution. It is also hoped that an accurate analysis of individual DNA will help doctors prescribe medicines and doses with the least possible side effects for each individual. DNA sequences include not only information for making various proteins but also directions for replicating DNA and transmitting it to the next generation of cells or individuals. These include sequences that control the start of replication (origins), those that control the arrangement of chromosomes (centromeres), and others that protect the ends of the chromosomes and keep them from eroding (telomeres). Through the workings of these sequences, the information encoded in DNA is passed down from the parent to the child. The work my husband and I carried out revealed the mechanism by which DNA sequences are replicated and how they are synthesized. Half a century has already passed since the discovery that the secret of life is all contained within a tiny double helix, yet there is still so much we do not know. In the years ahead, research into the mechanism of DNA replication will not only shed further light on the way in which genetic information is preserved--a phenomenon basic to the survival of species--but is also sure to play a major role in efforts to interpret DNA and the development of various applied medical technologies. |
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