ATP Working Paper Series—Working Paper 04-01
Catalyzing the Genomics Revolution: ATP's Tools for DNA Diagnostics Focused Program

ABSTRACT

The Human Genome Project was launched in 1990 as a highly ambitious effort to determine the com-plete sequence of the DNA in the human genome. The project's goal was to discover all human genes and render them accessible for further biological study. Given the diagnostic capabilities that existed when the project was first proposed, it was estimated that sequencing all these data would take at least 15 years and cost up to $200 million a year.

As it turned out, the Human Genome Project was completed in 2003, some three years ahead of sched-ule and significantly below the estimated cost. This remarkable achievement was accomplished by scores of talented, dedicated scientists with the help of major advancements in the state of the art of DNA analysis technologies. Of the many efforts that helped advance the state of the art, one highly notable effort came from the Advanced Technology Program (ATP), which operates out of the National Institute of Standards and Technology under the Technology Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

ATP is a unique federal funding program started in 1990 for the purpose of enabling highly innovative technological developments that are too risky to receive adequate private sector support. With ATP's support, industry was able to accelerate the development of a wide array of technological innovations that have proven to be essential for the analysis, understanding, and application of DNA information. This report summarizes ATP's contribution to the field of DNA technology and the Human Genome Project that came from a series of focused competitions entitled "Tools for DNA Diagnostics."

About the ATP Working Paper Series

Papers made available under the working paper series are intended to encourage sharing and discussion of research performed in-house by staff or by outside contractors, or to communicate aspects of the pro-gram that may be of interest to the program's stakeholders. Working papers have not undergone the rigorous review and publication process that formal reports issued by the Advanced Technology Program under the NIST GCR or NISTIR titles require.

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Date created: August 1, 2005
Last updated: August 5, 2005