Rat Genome
The major focus of the BCM-HGSC is high-throughput DNA sequence generation and accompanying analysis. The largest current project is production of a draft sequence (blueprint) of the rat genome within two years. The BCM-HGSC is responsible for about 60 percent of the sequencing, as well as overall coordination of the project. The laboratory rat is widely used as a disease model in research programs directed at understanding, treating, and preventing many human diseases. The sequencing of the rat genome is being done in collaboration with Celera Genomics and Genome Therapeutics Corporation. Groups at the Genome Sequence Centre in British Columbia, The Institute for Genomic Research, the University of Utah, and The Children's Hospital of Oakland are also contributing.

Human Genome
Completion of the Human Genome Project represents another large-scale endeavor for the BCM-HGSC. The Center is responsible for determining the DNA sequence of chromosomes 3, 12, and part of X. This represents about 10 percent of the human genome. The draft sequence of the genome was completed in the Spring, 2000, and the initial analysis was published in February 2001. The current work is refining the sequence and will lead to a complete, annotated sequence in 2003. This will be of enormous benefit in a wide range of research activities in the biomedical sciences. Comparison of the rat and human genomes is already underway at the Center, leading to new gene predictions and a deeper understanding of man's origins.