Realizing the Promise of Genomics in Biomedical Research

IN APRIL 2003, THE HUMAN GENOME PROJECT ACHIEVED all of its original goals, including production of a finished sequence of the human genome. With that historic achievement, the Human Genome Project ended and the “genome era” began. Especially because this transition occurred only days before the 50th anniversary of Watson and Crick’s article describing the DNA double helix, it led to much discussion regarding the future of genetics and genomics and how they would affect biological exploration, health, and even society. Now, 2 years into the genome era, is biomedical research any closer to that future, and, if so, what does it look like?