After spending 13 years and $2.7bn, the Human Genome Project announced in 2003 that it had successfully mapped our DNA, paving the way for a new era of medicine that would deliver “the right treatment, for the right patient, at the right time”.
The UK’s then health secretary, John Reid, welcomed the news by echoing a popular belief at the time. “Genetics promises a more personalised approach to healthcare,” he said. “With interventions tailored to each person’s own genetic profile.”
