Observer science editor Robin McKie exams the implications of the 100,000 Genomes Project, which involves several teams of scientists, all of whom have been working towards a remarkably ambitious goal: the sequencing of 100,000 genomes of individuals affected by rare disorders and cancers.
Major steps are being taken towards the creation of a health service in which healing is dovetailed – or personalised – to suit the needs of individual patients. Instead of taking a one-size-fits-all approach, treatments will be tailored to fit the makeup of individual patients.
Later this month, the 100,000 Project will reveal that it has reached its halfway point and has sequenced its 50,000th genome. This news will be followed with the announcement later this year of major initiatives aimed at ensuring that the UK becomes a world leader in genomics medicine.
