What do we do with it?
As the Human Genome Project continues to provide information about our genes, more opportunities for genetic testing will become available.
Genetic testing methods identify the presence or absence of a particular allele, or form of a gene, in an individual. Testing a whole population for the presence of particular alleles is called genetic screening.
The draft human genome sequence has aided the discovery of some genes and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with disease. SNPs (pronounced ‘snips’) are a common form of DNA variation where an alteration has occurred to a single base. If the SNP is in a gene, it can sometimes disrupt the gene's function.
Over 30 genes have been identified and linked to conditions such as deafness, blindness, breast cancer and muscle disease. DNA sequences have been associated with various cancers, arthritis, diabetes and cardiovascular heart disease. This type of information is enormously useful, because it provides specific targets for the development of new diagnostic tests and treatments.
We now know a lot more about our genes and how they affect our susceptibility to disease. It can be very tempting to think that our genes are responsible for everything about us. However, the way we think and behave are shaped by more than just our genetic code. Our environment, our society, including the country we live in, the food we eat, the way we view the world and how we look after our health, all affect our behaviour as much as the genes we were born with.
Watch a video from the ABC's Catalyst program about the debate over whether nature or nurture are more important in our development and behaviour: http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/s1372609.htm
Some researchers are using information from the Human Genome Project to help reach the ultimate aim of being able to advise individuals what to eat to ward off inherited conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease.
Watch a video from the CSIRO about foods of the future