Scientists decode human genome's instruction manual
• 'Epigenome' maps how genes work together • Hope of new drugs to treat cancer and schizophrenia Almost a decade after the human genome project lay bare the building blocks of life, scientists have figured out how they work together to create a living person. The genome project identified about 25,000 genes that are needed to make a healthy human being, but said nothing about how they combine to produce everything from hearts and minds to legs and livers. Now researchers in California have published what is effectively the first manual to show how genes are orchestrated inside cells ‑ a milestone that promises to revolutionise scientists' understanding of human development and how it can sometimes go wrong. Many scientists believe the work will lead to new treatments for life-threatening diseases such as cancer, and possibly mental disorders such as schizophrenia. The work is also expected to shed...
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