In the Genome Race, the Sequel Is Personal

September 4, 2007 | Source: New York Times

Biologist J. Craig Venter has decoded a new, higher-quality version of the human genome, using his own genome.

Called a full, or diploid genome, it consists of the DNA in both sets of chromosomes, one from each parent, and it is the normal genome possessed by almost all the body’s cells. It makes clear that the variation in the genetic programming carried by an individual is much greater than expected.