Ever since the discovery of DNA as the molecule responsible for genetics, in particular when it became clear that the ordering of the chemical components in this polymer was the information that DNA stored, scientists have dreamt about determining the full sequence of the human genome. For Francis Crick, who co-discovered the structure of DNA (along with James Watson, using data from Rosalind Franklin) this would be the final step towards unifying life and chemistry: demystifying the remarkable process that leads to us and all other living creatures. Back in 1953 this was a fantasy, but slowly and steadily over the ensuing decades it became a reality.
Ewan's Blog: Bioinformatician at large
Musings on life science research by Ewan Birney, Director of EMBL-EBI.