The human genome holds an extraordinary trove of information about human development, physiology, medicine and evolution. Here we report the results of an international collaboration to produce and make freely available a draft sequence of the human genome. We also present an initial analysis of the data, describing some of the insights that can be gleaned from the sequence.

/pdf/initial-sequencing-and-analysis-of-the-human-genome-5dapk1rsx1.pdf

Initial sequencing and analysis of the human genome.

As vertebrate genome sequences near completion and research refocuses to their analysis, the issue of effective genome annotation display becomes critical. A mature web tool for rapid and reliable display of any requested portion of the genome at any scale, together with several dozen aligned annotation tracks, is provided at http://genome.ucsc.edu. This browser displays assembly contigs and gaps, mRNA and expressed sequence tag alignments, multiple gene predictions, cross-species homologies, single nucleotide polymorphisms, sequence-tagged sites, radiation hybrid data, transposon repeats, and more as a stack of coregistered tracks. Text and sequence-based searches provide quick and precise access to any region of specific interest. Secondary links from individual features lead to sequence details and supplementary off-site databases. One-half of the annotation tracks are computed at the University of California, Santa Cruz from publicly available sequence data; collaborators worldwide provide the rest. Users can stably add their own custom tracks to the browser for educational or research purposes. The conceptual and technical framework of the browser, its underlying MYSQL database, and overall use are described. The web site currently serves over 50,000 pages per day to over 3000 different users.

/pdf/the-human-genome-browser-at-ucsc-4zclgthyly.pdf

The Human Genome Browser at UCSC

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers approximately 99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of approximately 1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human genome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead.

/pdf/finishing-the-euchromatic-sequence-of-the-human-genome-24n2xnoegg.pdf

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

Recent scientific discoveries that resulted from the application of nextgeneration DNA sequencing technologies highlight the striking impact of these massively parallel platforms on genetics. These new methods have expanded previously focused readouts from a variety of DNA preparation protocols to a genome-wide scale and have fine-tuned their resolution to single base precision. The sequencing of RNA also has transitioned and now includes full-length cDNA analyses, serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE)-based methods, and noncoding RNA discovery. Next-generation sequencing has also enabled novel applications such as the sequencing of ancient DNA samples, and has substantially widened the scope of metagenomic analysis of environmentally derived samples. Taken together, an astounding potential exists for these technologies to bring enormous change in genetic and biological research and to enhance our fundamental biological knowledge.

/pdf/next-generation-dna-sequencing-methods-1mt1qtnesz.pdf

Next-Generation DNA Sequencing Methods

http://www.uniroma2.it/didattica/Genomica_BTI/deposito/Mamm_Epigenome_rev_Cell.pdf

The mammalian epigenome.

The human genome is by far the largest genome to be sequenced, and its size and complexity present many challenges for sequence assembly. The International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium constructed a map of the whole genome to enable the selection of clones for sequencing and for the accurate assembly of the genome sequence. Here we report the construction of the whole-genome bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) map and its integration with previous landmark maps and information from mapping efforts focused on specific chromosomal regions. We also describe the integration of sequence data with the map.

/pdf/a-physical-map-of-the-human-genome-3fkckt91q0.pdf

Olivia Velasquez

Papers

A physical map of the human genome.