Genome sequencing tops Science's ten biggest breakthroughs in 2000
Genome sequencing ranks first on a list of the top ten scientific developments for the year 2000 in the latest issue of Science magazine, the weekly journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. 'A year ago, researchers had completely read the genome of only one multicellular organism, the worm, Caenorhabditis elegans,' say the magazine's editors.' Now sequences exist for the yet-to-be published human genome, the fruit fly and the plant geneticists' favorite weed, Arabidopsis thaliana. The genomes of several microbes have been sequenced as well...[and] close on the heels of these successes, the genomes of the mouse, rat, zebrafish, and two species of puffer fish are also nearing completion. Researchers are already reaping the benefits from these sequencing efforts, including insights into the diversity of cancer, the causes of ageing, and the complexity of the immune system.'