Decoders target 18 new genomes
Michael Hopkin
Diverse sequences will illuminate human evolution and the tree of life.

What do the elephant, the armadillo and the slime mould have in common? They
are all about to have their genomes sequenced by researchers at the US
National Human Genome Research Institute, according to plans unveiled on 4
August. In total, 18 species have been selected; they form an eclectic mix
designed to shed light on both the human genome and the evolution of the
entire tree of life.

It is the first time that species have been selected for genome sequencing
in such numbers. Previous projects, most famously the decoding of the human
genome, homed in on a single target organism. The roll-call runs from the
gigantic to the microscopic: among the organisms selected are the African
savannah elephant, the domestic cat, the nine-banded armadillo and a cadre
of moulds, snails and worms.

The new strategy will allow scientists to fill gaps in our knowledge about
how genomes evolve and which parts of the human sequence are most crucial,
says Mark Guyer, a research director at the institute. "With each new genome
that we sequence, we move closer to the goal of finding all the crucial
elements of the human genome involved in development, health and disease,"
he says.

Read the rest at Nature
http://www.nature.com/news/2004/040802/full/040802-12.html

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