A newly certified clinical diagnostic lab at UC Santa Cruz is allowing researchers to bring their life-saving RNA analyses to pediatric patients.
(Credit: Carolyn Lagatutta/UC Santa Cruz)

On July 7, 2000, the world got its very first look at a human genome — the three-billion-letter code that controls how our bodies function. Posted online by a small team at UC Santa Cruz, on behalf of the global Human Genome Project, this goldmine of data forever changed how we understand biology, medicine, evolution and what it means to be human.

That moment, powered by over a decade of global collaboration and more than $3 billion in public investment, laid the foundation for what is now precision medicine. Today, DNA and RNA sequencing is used to diagnose rare diseases, guide cancer therapies, trace pathogens and predict health risks. Genomics has transformed fields as diverse as neuroscience, agriculture and ecology. Now, with the help of artificial intelligence and machine learning, its impact is accelerating.

“Genomics is no longer just about reading the code,” said Lauren Linton, who led the MIT/ Whitehead Institute’s sequencing center during the Human Genome Project and is now executive director of the UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute. “It’s about applying that knowledge to real-world challenges — whether that’s finding treatments for a child with cancer or preserving the genetic diversity of endangered wildlife.”

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