Bulletins - Genetics Home Reference

Bulletins - Genetics Home Reference

 Genetics Home Reference Celebrates Its 15th Anniversary

On April 25, 2003, the U.S. National Library of Medicine launched Genetics Home Reference. The creation of Genetics Home Reference coincided with the completion of the Human Genome Project, a 13-year international effort to map the entire human genome. The aim of Genetics Home Reference is to provide a bridge between the public's interest in human genetics and the rich technical data that has emerged from the Human Genome Project and genomic research that continues to be done.

In 2003, Genetics Home Reference began with 19 condition summaries and 16 gene summaries. Fifteen years later, Genetics Home Reference offers easy-to-read summaries of about 1,200 genetic conditions, more than 1,450 genes, all of the human chromosomes, and mitochondrial DNA. New and updated summaries are added regularly. Genetics Home Reference also strives to provide topical information. Recently added entries to the educational primer, Help Me Understand Genetics, discuss Neanderthal DNA, genome editing, and newborn genomic screening.

Genetics Home Reference continues to be an important and useful health information resource, with about 1.7 million users per month.

• Genetics Home Reference (U.S. National Library of Medicine)
• The Human Genome Project Completion: Frequently Asked Questions (National Human Genome Research Institute)
• What was the Human Genome Project and why has it been important? (Genetics Home Reference)
• What does it mean to have Neanderthal or Denisovan DNA? (Genetics Home Reference)
• What are genome editing and CRISPR-Cas9? (Genetics Home Reference)
• What is newborn genomic sequencing? (Genetics Home Reference)