The HGSC is sequencing the genome of the orangutan (Pongo abelii). This primate model organism is more distant from humans than chimpanzees but closer than the rhesus monkey, making it important for the study of human biology.

The Orangutan Genome Sequencing Consortium is led by the Genome Sequencing Center at Washington University, St. Louis. The goals of the project are to produce a seven-fold WGS shotgun assembly, using a combination of small insert plasmids and large insert clone ends.

The sequencing and comparative analysis is funded by the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), National Institutes of Health (NIH).