The Human Genome Project: lessons from large-scale biology.

Thinking big comes naturally to many biologists. Pursuing biological research on a monumental scale traditionally has not. Given the depth of that dichotomy, it is amazing that any established scientist would consider signing on to a biological research endeavor of the magnitude of the Human Genome Project (HGP), let alone agree to help steer the ship. Yet, each of us did. Now that biology’s first large-scale project has been completed, there are many outcomes to celebrate: the development of an array of new technologies; the generation of highly useful genetic, physical, and transcript maps of the genomes of several organisms; the coupling of a scientific research program with a parallel research program in bioethics; and, now, the highly polished sequence of the human genome, free and readily accessible to all. Not only has the HGP essentially completed all of its initial goals and more (Table 1), it has done so more than two years ahead of schedule and at a cost less than originally expected. The experience of overseeing the work of the HGP provides a number of lessons about the organization and conduct of large, international collaborative projects (2). As such endeavors promise to become even more prevalent in the future, it is our hope these observations will prove useful to others venturing into the world of large-scale biology.