HGPI

Human Genome Project Information Archive
1990–2003

Archive Site Provided for Historical Purposes

HGP Research Area: Bioinformatics

The Human Genome Project (HGP) was completed in 2003. One key research area was bioinformatics. Without the annotation provided via bioinformatics, the information gleaned from the HGP is not very useful. This page details HGP bioinformatics research.

Informatics is the creation, development, and operation of databases and other computing tools to collect, organize, and interpret data.

Continued investment in current and new databases and analytical tools is critical to the future usefulness of HGP data. Databases must adapt to the evolving needs of the scientific community and must allow queries to be answered easily. Planners suggested developing a human genome database, analogous to model organism databases, that links to phenotypic information. Also envisioned were databases and analytical tools for studying the expanding body of gene-expression and functional data, for modeling complex biological networks and interactions, and for collecting and analyzing sequence-variation data.

Goals

Bioinformatics and Computational Biology

  • Improve content and utility of databases.
  • Develop better tools for data generation, capture, and annotation.
  • Develop and improve tools and databases for comprehensive functional studies.
  • Develop and improve tools for representing and analyzing sequence similarity and variation.
  • Create mechanisms to support effective approaches for producing robust, exportable software that can be widely shared.

Text adapted from F. Collins, Ari Patrinos, et al., "New Goals for the U.S. Human Genome Project: 1998–2003," Science 282: 682-689 (1998). For a more detailed explanation of informatics, see the U.S. DOE Primer on Molecular Genetics. For more on the project's goals, see the HGP Goals page.

Abstracts

Related Articles

Human Genome Project 1990–2003

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.

Human Genome News

Published from 1989 until 2002, this newsletter facilitated HGP communication, helped prevent duplication of research effort, and informed persons interested in genome research.