News Genetics

The first human genetic blueprint just turned 20. What’s next?

Efforts are under way to capture all human genetic diversity and catalog missing DNA

street scene in Lagos, Nigeria

Scientists are trying to build a more complete human reference genome, a master blueprint of our DNA used in biomedical and genetic research. One proposal is to decipher the genomes of 3 million people in Africa (Lagos, Nigeria, shown here).

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By Tina Hesman Saey

- More than 2 years ago

As the master blueprint for building humans turns 20, researchers are both celebrating the landmark achievement and looking for ways to bolster its shortcomings.