U. scientists get $10 mil. grant

As part of the nation's "human genome project" to understand human genetic structure, University researchers have been awarded a five-year, $10 million grant to completely map one of the the 24 human chromosomes. Pediatrics Professor Beverly Emanuel and Human Genetics Associate Professor Robert Nussbaum will head the University's Genome Center, which will involve nearly 20 researchers from the Philadelphia area. The effort is a major portion of the national project, which researchers hope will shed new light on genetic diseases and various cancers. "The most important [goal] has to do with human genetic diseases," said Nussbaum, the project's science director. "If we had a complete map, you could pull down the part of the chromosome and find all the genes that are there and find which is responsible for the problem." Describing the project as "one of the greatest adventures in biology of this half of the century," Nussbaum said the project will involve researchers in microbiology, genetics and bioengineering. He said earlier this week that the first step will be creating a low-resolution map of chromosome 22 and will take approximately five years to complete. Then, should the team's grant be renewed, creating higher-resolution maps of the chromosome and sequencing the DNA found on it will take another five years. Nussbaum said sequencing the DNA involves identifying and decoding the DNA found on the genes, which are responsible for all the traits which shape human development. There are some three billion "bases" in each human cell. The scientist said that it will require a massive interdisciplinary effort to design and construct the devices which will automate the process. "Some crude estimates put the cost [of sequencing] at about a dollar a base," he explained. "For just the sequencing, that's much too expensive." He said that with the help of computer scientists, machines could be operated which would dramatically shrink this cost. Medical School spokesperson Al Shar said the computer demands created by the project will be the most challenging part of the experiment, adding that computer scientists will be needed to support the necessary hardware and software. "One of the interesting things is that you're collecting a lot of non-standard data," he said. "A question will be, 'How do you set up databases involved with human genetics?' " In addition to the prestige of having such a center on campus, researchers said it will help the University in other ways as well. "Having the Genome Center here is a drawing card for undergraduates, graduates, medical students and fellows," he said. "It gives a certain higher level of visibility nationally." Shar said the Medical School will try to involve students, both undergraduate and graduate, in the project. "We're trying to put together programs in medical computer science," he said. "If we can find a way to give computer science undergraduates exposure, that would be wonderful." Nussbaum added that the University is especially well-suited for conducting this research.

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