Backgrounder: BCM Genome Sequencing Center
The Baylor College of Medicine Human Genome Sequencing Center (BCM-HGSC) was established in 1996 when the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) designated Baylor College of Medicine as one of six pilot programs for the final phase of the Human Genome Project. In 1999, the Center was selected as one of three sites from the pilot program chosen to complete the final phase of the Human Genome Project and it was a major center that enabled completion of the genome in 2003.
In addition to sequencing more than 10 percent of the human genome, the BCM-HGSC has collaborated with other researchers from around the world to sequence the genomes of many model animals studied in the laboratory as well as insects and bacteria known to cause infection. It has participated in the international HapMap project designed to help researchers identify genes associated with disease, the Cancer Genome Project and a host of others associated with specific diseases.
Additional research projects within the BCM-HGSC include the investigation of new molecular technologies for mapping and sequencing, the exploration of novel chemistries for DNA tagging, development of instrumentation for DNA manipulation and building new computer programs for genomic data analysis. The HGSC is also studying the genes expressed in childhood leukemias, the genomic differences that lead to evolutionary changes, the role of host genetic variation in the course of infectious disease and the molecular basis of specific genetic diseases.
For more information on the Center, please go to http://www.hgsc.bcm.tmc.edu/.