Genomics: the next psychiatric revolution?

“¿ Genome― is a comparatively recent term that refers collectively to all the genetic material of an organism and “¿ genomics― is an even newer word used to describe the study of genomes.The Human Genome Project is a coordinated effort of research taking place in the US, Europe, Japan and in many other countries that is aimed at characterising the human genome.It can be broadly conceived of in three parts.The first aim is to produce a detailed genetic map consisting of many thousands of ordered genetic markers which should in principle allow genes underlying any human inherited disease or trait to be located.The second stage is to provide a continuous physical map of DNA which will consist of sets of overlapping DNA clones, allowing the genes localised by genetic mapping to be identified.The third phase is to identify all the genes in the human genome, and to determine their DNA sequence and location, it is perhaps surprising to learn, given the breathtaking audacity of this endeavour, that the first two phases at least are proceeding well ahead of schedule.The current challenge is to develop more rapid and accurate methods of DNA sequencing but we can now envisage a time, certainly in the first half of the next century, when virtually all human genes will have been identified and sequenced.