The Human Genome Project

The completion of the Human Genome Project (HGP) was announced on 24 April 2003 (1 ). It was a landmark event in the history of biology and represents one of the most remarkable achievements in the history of science and signals the beginning of a new era in biomedical research. This chapter will describe briefly the history that led to the completion of the human genome project, what we know so far, some important immediate and potential future applications, and their implications.