The Human Genome Project Was a Failure

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Sources:

[gowzahr]

"Unlike computer code, the genetic code doesn't contain helpful annotations."

Computer programmers: *Sweat nervously*

[sarahleonard]

The HGP's "failure" was actually its greatest achievement, IMHO. The stunned disbelief that it didn't instantly solve every mystery pushed the community to delve deeper into how gene regulation actually works and how genes interact with each other. I was studying biochemistry in college when the project was being carried out, and I was excited as everyone else. And I was as surprised as anyone else to hear that the results were nothing like what we expected. It's hard to recall just how little we understood about what we thought we were doing at the time. We had sequenced so few genomes, and so many of them were from bacteria and other single-celled organisms, that most of our expectations were based on a very skewed sample that turned out to not be even remotely representative of what goes on in mammals. We didn't know enough to know how ignorant we were. But the nature of the disconnect between our expectations and the real results was what gave us the clues to know where to look next. It told us what questions we should be asking.

Sometimes, you just have to face-plant in front of a huge audience to move forward.

[nicolez]

Geneticist here! Can confirm that research benefited way more than medicine from the get go, but we get better every day at translating what we discover into useful medical applications. There's just a lot of lag time. Also can confirm that "slapping samples on the sequencer" is exactly how we get our data.

[christopherbrand]

I carry my genome around in most of the cells of my body

[softllamaspajamas]

As someone currently sequencing the reference genomic map for a palm tree, I would say this project was incredibly important for my current area of study. The human genome project walked so future genetic projects could run.

[Gardengallivant]

I am a molecular biologist who did early work from the 80s- the early 2000s. I was isolating a copy of both the genomic sequences and a copy of the expressed mRNA one or a few a year.. I did the gene isolation, the sequencing right through to the tissue culture studies of an expressed gene's protein activity. We knew what the genomic project was likely to give us. Time. We knew it would offer us data across populations and across species to mine directly rather than spend ages getting to where we could do the protein's activity experiments. The hype was from journalists or politicians given the kind of money the project needed.

[avwholesomegamer]

The race for private equity to own the human genome before the HGP finished should be an Oscar-winning blockbuster several times over by now. We almost had zero access to our own genes!

[EuelBall]

"It's more complicated than what we thought it would be."
"It always is..."

[kevink]

I love that the pitch was to keep a copy of your genes in your jeans.

[michaelrae]

It's only a failure based on the application expectations before the project started. We had to get the map. It's a work in progress.

Plus CRISPR

[feldinho]

turns out the real genome was inside of us all along

[bmanpura]

4:20 "Unlike a computer code, genes does not contain helpful annotations..."
As a programmer, well.. 💀

[erikarussell]

“ Task failed successfully “, is absolutely correct. I loved this video! Tysm

[LJP]

Yes, the most common diseases are more complex, but what she says at 2:55 does matter - cures for Mendelian conditions would literally be lifesavers. This hits close to home - my stepson died from Huntington's Disease just a few months ago (she did mention Huntington's in that section), and he has three children, each of whom has coin-toss odds. Praying that the researchers can figure out a solution in time for them and others in their generation.

[mozzie]

This video really highlights the difference between science as it is sold to the public and people who divvy up the money as opposed to the real value of science. It's often sold as having these amazing direct applications, but in reality, it is unlocking doors in a very unpredictable way.

[disaharris]

My daughter has a genetic mutation associated with epilepsy... from 9 months old to 2.5yrs old she had 10-11 febrile seizures and 1 non-febrile seizure. Now, she is on a daily medication till she gets older. She will be 3 in October.

Genetic testing is so important to science.

[TheVirtualFashionista]

Wow, that was fascinating! I've been clinically diagnosed with a connective tissue disease called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, which is... a complicated condition that comes in like 13 different varieties. It's always confused and frustrated me that they can do a genetic test to confirm if you have one specific version of EDS, but not the others, and I never understood why. But after watching this, now it makes perfect sense!

[estherabrams]

This doesn’t even cover the impact of gene mapping on law enforcement, justice, and in some cases, righting past wrongs.

[lorrygoth]

A library that was never meant to be a library, that just developed into one over time made from the material that was available.

[thehellezell]

I worked on that a bit as an undergrad! Strangely my landlord’s name at the time: Gene Poole. true story