The Human Genome “Rosetta Stone” and The Future of Health

Bold Names

The Wall Street Journal

Technology

4.4 • 1.4K Ratings

🗓️ 15 April 2022

⏱️ 19 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

One person’s junk is another person’s treasure. Sometimes it’s even true in science. Nearly 20 years ago, researchers said they had completed a groundbreaking project, sequencing the human genome. But they were missing about 8%. Some researchers at the time called the missing pieces “junk.” Still, a team of about 100 researchers kept going and has now finished a truly complete sequence. It’s a genomic “Rosetta Stone,” a reference guide capable of revealing what makes humans, human. One of the lead authors, Dr. Evan Eichler, tells us how filling in the gaps will improve the way we understand disease and advance personalized medicine. Full research article from the Telomere-to-Telomere (T2T) Consortium: The complete sequence of a human genome Read more from the Wall Street Journal: First ‘Gapless’ Human Genome Map Is Unveiled, Years After Prior Effort Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	As a city national client, you get a dedicated team of banking professionals working alongside
0:06.5	you.
0:07.5	From a relationship manager who works with you on everyday business needs to a business
0:11.4	banker who drives your goals into the future, come in to meet your team at City National
0:16.3	Bank.
0:17.3	See what personal can do for you at CNB.com.
0:28.8	You really big just happened.
0:31.0	With important implications for our health.
0:34.0	For nearly 20 years, scientists have been trying to decode all the DNA that comprises our
0:40.0	genetic instructions.
0:42.2	And now they've done it, publishing the first complete sequence of the human genome.
0:47.4	You always hear people talking about a watershed moment and inflection point but blah and
0:51.1	their field.
0:52.5	But to me, this is actually a fundamental transformation of how researchers and geneticists and
0:58.4	clinicians are going to start thinking about their patient's genetic code and how it relates
1:04.2	to human disease.
1:05.6	Now the thing is something similar was announced in the early 2000s.
1:11.2	It was called the Human Genome Project and it officially wrapped up nearly 20 years
1:16.4	ago.
1:17.4	We are here to celebrate the completion of the first survey of the entire human genome.
1:22.8	Without a doubt, this is the most important, most wondrous map ever produced by human kind.
1:30.5	Back then, scientists knew even as it was being announced that the map, it wasn't really
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from The Wall Street Journal, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of The Wall Street Journal and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.