Adobe
An international team of scientists says it has sequenced the entirety of the human genome, including parts that were missed in the sequencing of the first human genome two decades ago.
The claim, if confirmed, surpasses the achievement laid out by leaders from the Human Genome Project and Celera Genomics on the White House lawn in 2000, when they announced the sequencing of the first draft human genome. That historic draft, and subsequent human DNA sequences, have all missed about 8% of the genome.
The sequencing of the new genome fills in these gaps using new technology. It has different limitations, however, including the type of cell line that the researchers used in order to speed up their effort.
Conversations in the first half of 2021 are dominated by COVID-19 vaccines: where they are being distributed, who has had the coveted shots, and how life will change after the majority of adults have been vaccinated. The journal
Science even chose RNA-based vaccines as their “2020 Breakthrough of the Year.” These developments are, of course, highly welcome, and they could not have been achieved without a key event that occurred 150 years ago but that is now virtually forgotten: the discovery of nucleic acids, DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) and RNA (ribonucleic acid). This finding marked the start of a new era in our understanding of organisms and disease. But the story also holds lessons in how we remember those who bring about breakthroughs.
This week,
Science celebrates the impending 20th anniversary of the publication of the draft human genome sequence a landmark achievement by any measure. The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS, the publisher of
Science) also looks forward to next week s annual meeting, whose theme is “Understanding Dynamic Ecosystems.” At first glance, these two events may seem unrelated. But the successful completion of the human genome sequence ushered in biology s era of “big science” and created a research ecosystem for tackling complex, technology-driven, and data-intensive multidisciplinary projects that continue to improve our understanding of cancer, the microbiome, the brain, and other areas of biology.
This Week in History: June 26-July 2, 2017
for human events ever resemble those of preceding times.”
Machiavelli
June 26
1721 – Dr. Zabdiel Boylston of Massachusetts gives the first untested smallpox inoculation in America to his own son.
1797 – Charles Newbold patents the first cast-iron plow. He can’t sell it to farmers because they fear the effects of iron on soil.
1870 – The Christian holiday of Christmas is declared a federal holiday in the U.S.
1900 – U.S. Army physician Dr. Walter Reed begins research that, in 1901, leads to the discovery of how to beat Yellow Fever. His experiments with other doctors in Cuba prove that mosquitoes transmit Yellow Fever.
5 Questions With… 2020 Recap
In 2020 we introduced a new series titled “5 Questions With…” in an effort to spotlight individuals from across the BioHealth Capital Region and beyond. Providing this platform has allowed us to help share the stories of industry peers and show that there isn’t a single “right” way to becoming an industry success.
As the year wraps up and we look forward to 2021, we are also looking back to the 30 guests we’ve featured in this series. From CFOs to Scientists, Veterans to Venture Capitalists, Company Founders to Leadership who recently joined their current companies, and everyone inbetween.