The Human Genome Project (HGP) is an international research effort started
in the mid 1980s and aimed at the construction of a detailed genetic and
physical map of the human genome. The project's goal is to map a
complete nucleotide sequence of human DNA, to locate an estimated
50,000-100,000 genes within the human, and also the gene mapping of
several other organisms used extensively in research laboratories as model
systems. The scientific products of the HGP will comprise a resource of
detailed information about the structure, organization and function of
human DNA, information that constitutes the basic set of inherited
"instructions" for the development and functioning of a human being. This
information will be stored in a large database that will provide an
interactive tool for research and study for doctors and scientists all
over the world.
Stanford University is one of the institutions participating in the Human
Genome Project. The main goals of the Stanford Human Genome Center (SHGC)
are the construction of high resolution Radiation Hybrid maps of the human
genome and the sequencing of large, continious regions of genes. The SHGC
also maintains an active Education Program to make the research available
to students, teachers and the scientific community.