The NHGRI Genome Sequencing Program (GSP)
The NHGRI Genome Sequencing Program (GSP) was initially created to sequence the human genome, as part of the Human Genome Project (HGP), an international collaboration involving more
The NHGRI Genome Sequencing Program (GSP)
The NHGRI Genome Sequencing Program (GSP) was initially created to sequence the human genome, as part of the Human Genome Project (HGP), an international collaboration involving more than a dozen centers worldwide. (See: All About the Human Genome Project for an overview of the HGP). In the process of building the technical and intellectual infrastructure to sequence the 3Gb human genome, the genomes of a small number of widely-used biomedical model systems were sequenced, including those of Escherichia coli, baker's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), the roundworm (Caenorhabditis elegans), and the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster).
The HGP firmly established the advantage of the rapid and unfettered release of sequence data to the community. With the completion of the HGP in 2003, two things were apparent in addition to the basic insight gained form having these genome sequences. First, the development and application of large-scale genome sequencing had resulted in significant gains in efficiency, with approximately 2-fold decreases in cost (per amount of effort) attained every ~20 months. Second, it was apparent that there would be an increasing demand for genome sequence over time to attain 