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Human Genome News, March 1991; 2(6)
The NIH National Center for Human Genome Research (NCHGR) has awarded two 5-year Human Genome Research Center grants to teams at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. These two additions bring to six the total number of NCHGR-supported genome research centers.
Centers form the foundation of the diverse NCHGR research program and also serve as resources to outside scientists by providing them with newly developed research materials, opportunities to learn new techniques, and access to computer databases containing genome research results. Funds for these two new centers will provide "core facilities" that will enable genome researchers to carry out the goals of the Human Genome Project.
University of Utah (first year: $2,076,272). Led by geneticists Raymond Gesteland and Raymond White, the Utah center will focus on developing high-quality DNA markers to add to the genetic linkage map of human chromosomes 16, 17, and a portion of 5 and to help connect the genetic and physical maps. Investigators expect to generate about 640 markers each year and, in collaboration with a group at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada, will also develop more rapid DNA sequencing methods.
The Utah center will include a computer component to perform genetic and statistical analyses to link information about inherited diseases to specific chromosomes and genes. Mapping technology developed at the Utah center will be available to other gene hunters through collaborations.
Baylor College of Medicine (first year: $1,833,621). Led by Thomas Caskey, the Baylor genome center will seek to improve DNA sequencing technology while developing a physical map of human chromosomes X and 17 and a genetic linkage map of chromosome 6. Investigators will collect DNA samples from patients with inherited diseases and, with special computer programs, attempt to locate disease genes on cloned yeast artificial chromosomes, focusing on large DNA regions known to contain genes responsible for diseases.
Locations of Other NCHGR Centers:
Reported by Leslie Fink, Chief
NCHGR Office of Communications
The electronic form of the newsletter may be cited in the following style:
Human Genome Program, U.S. Department of Energy, Human Genome News (v2n6).
The Human Genome Project (HGP) was an international 13-year effort, 1990 to 2003. Primary goals were to discover the complete set of human genes and make them accessible for further biological study, and determine the complete sequence of DNA bases in the human genome. See Timeline for more HGP history.
Published from 1989 until 2002, this newsletter facilitated HGP communication, helped prevent duplication of research effort, and informed persons interested in genome research.
