'It took 20-plus years, but we finally got it done.'
Scientists say they have finally assembled the full genetic blueprint for human life, adding the missing pieces to a puzzle nearly completed two decades ago.
Many — including Eichler's own students — thought it had been finished already."I was teaching them, and they said, 'Wait a minute. Isn't this like the sixth time you guys have declared victory? I said, 'No, this time we really, really did it!" The research caps off decades of work. The first draft of the human genome was announced in a White House ceremony in 2000 by leaders of two competing entities: an international publicly funded project led by an agency of the U.S. National Institutes of Health and a private company, Maryland-based Celera Genomics.
Miga, a genomics researcher at the University of California-Santa Cruz, worked with Adam Phillippy of the National Human Genome Research Institute to organize the team of scientists to start from scratch with a new genome with the aim of sequencing all of it, including previously missing pieces. The group, named after the sections at the very ends of chromosomes, called telomeres, is known as the Telomere-to-Telomere, or T2T, consortium.
Eichler said some scientists used to think unknown areas contained"junk." Not him."Some of us always believed there was gold in those hills," he said. Eichler is paid by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, which also supports The Associated Press's health and science department. Researchers also had to overcome another challenge: Most cells contain genomes from both mother and father, confusing attempts to assemble the pieces correctly. T2T researchers got around this by using a cell line from one"complete hydatidiform mole," an abnormal fertilized egg containing no fetal tissue that has two copies of the father's DNA and none of the mother's.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
20-year-old New York woman's cold case homicide solved 42 years laterInvestigators relied on genetic genealogy, which has been used to help solve a number of cold cases across the country.
Read more »
San Jose officer shoots 20-year-old college athlete who disarmed suspect inside taqueria, police sayGreen is now recovering after being shot in the abs, an arm, and a leg. His lawyer says at this point they plan to file a lawsuit and bring this case in front of a jury.
Read more »
UK police issue 20 fines over 'partygate' virus scandalBritish police say that they are fining 20 people over parties held by Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his staff during coronavirus lockdowns, and that more people could face penalties.
Read more »
U.K. police to issue first 20 fines over Downing Street lockdown partiesThe fines are being issued over gatherings in Boris Johnson’s offices and residence that broke coronavirus lockdown rules, sparking fresh opposition calls for…
Read more »
Florida, 20 other states challenge CDC transit mask ruleFlorida and 20 other states sued Tuesday to halt the federal government’s requirement that people wear masks on planes, trains, ferries and other public transportation amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Read more »
Trudeau climate plan wants 20% of cars to be EVs by 2026Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government wants to institute a mandate that at least 20 per cent of new cars offered for sale by 2026 have zero emissions, as part of Canada’s plan to meet its 2030 emissions-reduction goal. — via drivingdotca EV
Read more »