Human Genome

The Human Genome Project is one of the largest collaborative biological projects ever initiated. It was officially funded by the US Department of Energy's Office of Health and Environmental Research during the Reagan Administration, it was planned originally for 15 years. A rough draft of the human genome was available in June 2000, and within 3 more years final sequencing mapping of the genome was published. Work hasn't stopped here, further analysis and discoveries continue to this day. Through the sequencing of our DNA scientists are able to understand diseases in a way that was never possible before. They can now manage the genotyping of specific viruses to more accurately direct treatment. Cancer detection and treatment has also changed radically since the project.

Advances like this may all change if news from the states on the level of funding remains unchecked and continues to decline.

Recent analysis has shown that the United States may be losing ground as one of the leaders in biomedical research and design.

High ranking officials associated with the funding programs and scientists alike are hoping House of Senate budget negotiators will succeed in finding some common ground and resolve these funding issues.

At a recent conference key advisors identified projects that could not have happened if government spend had not been available, one of those projects was the human genome project. One of the leaders of the projected said it may have produced more than 400,000 jobs directly and at least 7 million indirectly and generated in total $965 billion in economic growth.

Surely this is compelling evidence to review budget strategy?

Excerpt from:
Human Genome