DNA sequence and sample of DNA, September 2000.

UNITED KINGDOM - OCTOBER 17: A sequencing chromatograph showing a DNA sequence and a sample of DNA from the human genome mapping project carried out by the Medical Research Council in Cambridge. Maps like these plot the position of certain known genes and are preliminary to sequencing the entire genome. The Human Genome Project is expected to produce a sequence of DNA representing the evolutionary history of the human species. In April 2003 international scientists working on the project announced that the decoding of the genome is virtually complete, two years ahead of time. Identifying genes can now be done in days instead of years, with huge potential scientific and medical benefits. (Photo by SSPL/Getty Images)