The Human Genome Project (HGP) was one of the great feats of exploration in history. The HGP was a 13 year international project that commenced in October 1990 and ended two years ahead schedule in April 2003. It was coordinated by the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Institute of Health with additional contributions from all around the world including Australia, New Zealand, Japan, France, Germany, China and many others.
The Human Genome Project’s primary goals were to determine the sequence of the 3 billion letters, or base pairs (G, C, A, T) which complete the set of DNA in the human body, and to identify and map the approximately 20,000 – 25,000 genes of the human genome.

Since the finalisation of The Human Genome Project, researchers now have powerful tools to understand the genetic factors in human disease by having easier accessibility to mapped human genes. Today researchers can find a gene suspected of causing an inherited disease in a matter of days, rather than years it took in the past. This project has paved the way for new strategies for diagnosis, treatment and prevention plans.

The Human Genome Project has already fuelled the discovery of more than 1800 disease genes!