Human Genome Project

The Human Genome Project is an ambitious effort to understand the hereditary instructions that make each of us unique. The goal of this effort is to find the location of the 100,000 or so human genes and to read the entire genetic script, all 3 billion bits of information, by the year 2005. Inside the nucleus of nearly every cell in the body, a complex set of genetic instructions, known as the human genome, is contained on 23 pairs …

…Project has, since its inception, devoted about 5% of its budget to research aimed at anticipating and resolving the ethical, legal, and social issues likely to arise from this research. This is one of the first times scientists have begun to explore the potential consequences of their research before a crisis had arisen. With careful attention to these ethical quandaries, and adequate safeguards when necessary, society can reap the full benefits of the Human Genome Project.