Perspectives on the Human Genome Project and Genomics

In this chapter, I explore the role of the European Commission in genomics research. More specifically, I look at its Human Genome Analysis Programme (HGAP), launched in 1990 to foster transnational, pan-European cooperation around the practices of DNA mapping and sequencing. The HGAP ended up being overshadowed by the determination of the draft reference sequence of the human genome by Celera Genomics and the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium (IHGSC) in their acclaimed 2001 simultaneous publication. I argue that, instead of being evaluated in terms of the aims of these projects and found less productive or successful in comparison, the HGAP should be interpreted in the context of coordinated scientific policies in Europe and their effects on the marriage between genomics and the historically preceding field of medical genetics. Unlike the efforts of Celera and the IHGSC, which sought to determine the full sequence of the human genome, the HGAP prioritized the creation of collaborative, knowledge-exchange networks among European laboratories. An understanding of this specific and highly contingent remit enables the analyst to approach the legacy of the HGAP on its own terms.