Human Genome Project
an international project to map each human gene and determine the complete sequence of base pairs in human DNA. The project began in 1990 and was completed in 2003. It has yielded vast amounts of valuable information about the genes responsible for various diseases, which may lead to the development of effective genetic screening tests and, possibly, treatments. However, controversy surrounds the attempts by some biotechnology companies to patent certain human DNA sequences with the potential for commercial exploitation. See also ELSI Program.