SAN DIEGO, Calif. – October 10, 2007 – This month in PLoS Biology (vol. 5, issue 10), researchers published results from the sequencing of the first human diploid genome; all the DNA from both sets of chromosomes. This landmark sequencing study has shed light on how scientists will carry out future analyses of human genomes. The study revealed that there is as much as 5-times more genetic variation between two individuals than was previously estimated. To understand how that variation contributes to disease or individual response to treatment for disease, researchers will need to identify the amount, kind, and specific location of variations within the genome.
