Anyone who reads even a little about science and technology will be familiar by now with the idea of genome sequencing. This process involves breaking an organism’s DNA into fragments to study their compositions or sequences. Then the fragments are aligned and merged to reconstruct the original sequence.
But why sequence an organism’s genome? What’s the value for ordinary people and the world more broadly? The answers are immediately obvious when it comes to the medical field. Understanding what makes a disease “tick” offers scientists a way to treat or prevent it. Sequencing the genome of a crop or animal can improve agricultural yields or make species hardier in shifting climates.
