NEWSLETTER October 2024

 

The Human Genome Project

How It Started and Where We Are Going


Since the 1950s, Rosalind Franklin's X-ray images and the discovery of DNA's double helix by Franklin, Watson, and Crick have fascinated both scientists and the public with the molecule's simple yet elegant structure.


Watch four short professionally produced videos from the History Channel offering insights into the beginnings of our understanding of DNA, sequencing and making sense of the human genome, and visions of the future.

View Videos

It's Your Turn to Be a Brain Scientist!

Using the Brain Explorer, led by the wise octopus, Dr. Octowise, students can learn a about the scientific method and the brain by choosing a question and exploring the answers.


Students can ask the same questions that NIH Brain Initiative researchers ask to learn more about the brain.

Explore the Brain

DNA Day Has a Question for You

The American Society of Human Genetics has released the Annual DNA Day Essay Contest question for DNA Day 2025.  


High school students (grades 9-12) can contemplate and prepare their response now to the 2025 question, which focuses on the impact of artificial intelligence on genetic testing. 


Don’t procrastinate, now is the time to write! 


Students can submit responses between January 6 and March 5, 2025. 

Read the Essay Question

Word of the Month

from NHGRI's Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms

Genetic Testing

Genetic testing is the use of a laboratory test to examine an individual’s DNA for variations, typically performed in the context of medical care, ancestry studies or forensics. 


Listen in to learn about genetic testing, how it’s used, and what the results can reveal to us. 

Genetic Testing
 


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