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In this issue...
Also available in pdf.
1997 Santa Fe Highlights
Human Genome Project Administration
In the News
Publications
Software and the Internet
Funding
Meeting Calendars & Acronyms
Translating the increasing stores of genome data into practical knowledge about biological function --a rapidly growing field known as functional genomics --will be one of the biggest challenges facing modern biology. One promising method is to look for clues b visualizing the 3-D structure of the proteins (the human "proteome") encoded by the human genome's estimated 80,000 genes. Because biological structures have been shaped by evolution to serve their functions, they could reveal important patterns that suggest common functional mechanisms.
To enable explorations into structural biology, the DOE Office of Biological and Environmental Research supports research at synchrotron radiation sources that focus X-ray beams on tiny protein crystals and produce a diffraction pattern to reveal the protein's intricate structure. Users of these DOE facilities, which often cost hundreds of millions of dollars, include scientists from universities, medical schools, government laboratories, and pharmaceutical companies. Although synchrotron radiation sources were once the sole province of physicists, biologists now account for about a third of all users.
The electronic form of the newsletter may be cited in the following style:
Human Genome Program, U.S. Department of Energy, Human Genome News (v9n3).
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.