What is meant by sequencing the human genome?
Genome sequencing involves the working out the order and arrangement of the genetic code. It is technically difficult and very expensive. Being able to read this code and understand how the cells translate it into information they can use is fundamental to understanding how our genetic makeup influences our health, growth and behaviour.
How much have we learnt about our genes so far?
Since 2003 we have had a better understanding of the information contained in our DNA , and the role of our genes. Understanding what all of our genes do will take considerably more time. We are also a long way from knowing how our genes interact with the environment – a key consideration for common health issues such as diabetes, dementia and heart disease.
How much would it cost to sequence my entire genome and can it be done?
In 2005, it cost about US$ 10 million to sequence a human genome, though this was a 50-fold decrease from the previous decade. In June 2007, Dr. James Watson, who jointly discovered the structure of DNA in 1953 with the late Dr Francis Crick, received his full genome sequence recorded on a computer hard drive. This cost less than US$ 1 million. Today, some overseas companies are offering to sequence an individual’s genome for US$ 350,000. It is relevant to note that a goal of the US National Human Genome Research Institute is to reduce these costs to US$ 1,000 or less for an entire genome. This is likely to happen within the decade, if not earlier.
What personal value is there in having your genome sequenced?
The health benefits of genome sequencing are claimed to include diagnosis and prevention that can be personalised to each person’s unique genetic profile. Perhaps treatment might one day become an option particularly when this can be started early in the development of a disorder that has been predicted from the DNA sequence. However, these benefits will not happen for many years. So, if you were to have your own genome sequenced today, you will be given a very large amount of information about your DNA sequence i.e. the order of the 4 building blocks that make up our DNA (A, T, G, C) repeated 3 million times in various combinations. The great majority of this information will have no practical meaning because we do not know enough about the genome and how it works yet. Even when we know more about the human genome, we will need to understand how genes and the environment can interact before the human genome sequence will make complete sense.