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Science In Action: Human genome goes global

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Human Genome Goes Global

11/05/2023 GMT

Human genome goes global

BBC World Service - Science In Action, Human genome goes global

The Pangenome project captures human diversity with 47 new genomes

The Pangenome project captures human diversity with 47 new genomes. Also, the Royal Society digitises its historical collections, and we listen to our planet from 30km up.

In 2003, an incredible scientific milestone was achieved as the first human genome completed sequencing. For 20 years, this genome has been used as a reference by researchers for comparison to all other DNA sequences. Now, the Human Pangenome Reference Consortium is addressing the lack of genetic diversity starting with 47 new reference genomes. Members of the consortium, Dr Karen Miga, assistant professor, UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute and Dr Benedict Paten, associate professor, UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute, join Roland to discuss the first stages of the project. 
 
For the first time the public will have access to thousands of documents from the Royal Society’s historical collections following their digitisation. Science correspondent Vic Gill visits the vaults to see some of these pieces of history first hand. 
 
We are also taking a trip 30km above the Earth, to the stratosphere, where Daniel Bowman, principal scientist from Sandia National Laboratories, is using solar powered balloons to listen to the mysterious sounds of our planet. 
 
Presenter: Roland Pease
Producer: Ella Hubber

(Image Illustration of the globe. Credit: Darryl Leja, NHGRI)

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