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Science
Gabrielle Hartley, PhD Candidate in Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut

The Human Genome Project pieced together only 92% of the DNA – now scientists have finally filled in the remaining 8%

Over half of the human genome contains repetitive DNA sequences whose functions are still not fully understood. Malte Mueller/fStop via Getty Images

When the Human Genome Project announced that they had completed the first human genome in 2003, it was a momentous accomplishment - for the first time, the DNA blueprint of human life was unlocked. But it came with a catch - they weren’t actually able to put together all the genetic information in the genome. There were gaps: unfilled, often repetitive regions that were too confusing to piece together.

With advancements in technology that could handle these repetitive sequences, scientists finally filled those gaps in May 2021, and the first end-to-end human genome was officially published on Mar. 31, 2022.

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