Introduction

"Today, June 26, 2000 marks an historic point in the 100,000-year record of humanity."

-Craig Venter at a White House ceremony announcing the completion of a rough draft of the human genome

Dr. Venter's statement was no hyperbole. The sequencing of the human genome has been compared to the invention of the atom bomb and the moon landing, yet its implications may be far more profound. With understanding of the book of life comes vast benefits, as well as responsibilities. Man may unravel the mysteries of Alzheimer's and heart disease, as well as gain insight on what it means to be human.

The publicly funded, international Human Genome Project started the effort to sequence the genome. Late starting Celera Genomics, a private company, soon overtook them, though. In a June 26, 2000 White House ceremony, they jointly announced a rough draft of the human genome.

The draft took less than a decade and a half. That such a vast undertaking has been completed in such a short period of time is a testament to the development of computing technology.