Uploaded September 2023 | Updated September 2026, 5 hours ago
April 2023 marked the 20th anniversary of the completion of the Human Genome Project (HGP) – a major milestone in the history of science. The story of the 13-year HGP is a story of great individual and group accomplishments and, in many ways, incredible audacity. The HGP consisted of many smaller narratives – some scientific, some political, and some sociological. To capture some of this history, NHGRI recently recorded a virtual discussion involving the major leaders that got the HGP across the finish line in 2003. That group was dubbed the ‘G5’ and included leaders of the five genome-sequencing centers that produced the largest amount of sequence data.
The G5 worked very closely together in the final stage of the HGP to generate most of the human genome sequence, to ensure that the human genome sequence produced was high quality, and to organize the worldwide effort. The G5 discussion pulled back the curtain to allow a glimpse into the true unfettered and untold story of the G5.
About the Human Genome Project: genome.gov/human-genome-project
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Chapters:
00:00 - Opening theme
05:11 - How did the G5 come to exist?
13:36 - Who named the G5?
14:40 - Was the G5 too US-Centric?
20:10 - How were G5 calls organized?
33:10 - How would now-available videoconferencing technologies (if available then) have affected G5 interactions?
35:55 - What were the personas of the different G5 leaders?
01:08:02 - How did pizza play a role in the G5's success?
01:21:19 - How did the G5 interactions change after announcement of the draft human genome sequence?
01:31:10 - What is a notable G5 memory?
01:40:16 - What singularly has surprised you about genomics over the last 20 years?
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Moderator:
Eric Green, M.D., Ph.D.
Director, National Human Genome Research Institute
U.S. National Institutes of Health
Panelists:
Francis Collins, M.D., Ph.D.
Former Director, National Human Genome Research Institute
U.S. National Institutes of Health
Richard Gibbs, Ph.D.
Director, Baylor College of Medicine Human Genome Sequencing Center
Eric Lander, Ph.D.
Former Director, Broad Institute
Michael Morgan, Ph.D.
Former Chief Executive, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus
Ari Patrinos, Ph.D.
Former Director, Office of Biological and Environmental Research
U.S. Department of Energy
Jane Rogers, Ph.D.
Former Head of Sequencing, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute
Bob Waterston, M.D., Ph.D.
Former Director, Genome Sequencing Center
Washington University School of Medicine
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Executive Producer: Sarah Bates, M.S., M.A.
Associate Producers: Christopher Donohue, Ph.D., Mauresa Pittman, M.B.A. and
Kris Wetterstrand, M.S.
Videographer/Editor: Alvaro Encinas
Graphics/Technical Support: Darryl Leja and Mukul Nerurkar
Office of Communications
National Human Genome Research Institute
National Institutes of Health
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
April 2023 marked the 20th anniversary of the completion of the Human Genome Project (HGP) – a major milestone in the history of science. The story of the 13-year HGP is a story of great individual and group accomplishments and, in many ways, incredible audacity. The HGP consisted of many smaller narratives – some scientific, some political, and some sociological. To capture some of this history, NHGRI recently recorded a virtual discussion involving the major leaders that got the HGP across the finish line in 2003. That group was dubbed the ‘G5’ and included leaders of the five genome-sequencing centers that produced the largest amount of sequence data.
The G5 worked very closely together in the final stage of the HGP to generate most of the human genome sequence, to ensure that the human genome sequence produced was high quality, and to organize the worldwide effort. The G5 discussion pulled back the curtain to allow a glimpse into the true unfettered and untold story of the G5.
About the Human Genome Project: genome.gov/human-genome-project
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapters:
00:00 - Opening theme
05:11 - How did the G5 come to exist?
13:36 - Who named the G5?
14:40 - Was the G5 too US-Centric?
20:10 - How were G5 calls organized?
33:10 - How would now-available videoconferencing technologies (if available then) have affected G5 interactions?
35:55 - What were the personas of the different G5 leaders?
01:08:02 - How did pizza play a role in the G5's success?
01:21:19 - How did the G5 interactions change after announcement of the draft human genome sequence?
01:31:10 - What is a notable G5 memory?
01:40:16 - What singularly has surprised you about genomics over the last 20 years?
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Moderator:
Eric Green, M.D., Ph.D.
Director, National Human Genome Research Institute
U.S. National Institutes of Health
Panelists:
Francis Collins, M.D., Ph.D.
Former Director, National Human Genome Research Institute
U.S. National Institutes of Health
Richard Gibbs, Ph.D.
Director, Baylor College of Medicine Human Genome Sequencing Center
Eric Lander, Ph.D.
Former Director, Broad Institute
Michael Morgan, Ph.D.
Former Chief Executive, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus
Ari Patrinos, Ph.D.
Former Director, Office of Biological and Environmental Research
U.S. Department of Energy
Jane Rogers, Ph.D.
Former Head of Sequencing, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute
Bob Waterston, M.D., Ph.D.
Former Director, Genome Sequencing Center
Washington University School of Medicine
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Executive Producer: Sarah Bates, M.S., M.A.
Associate Producers: Christopher Donohue, Ph.D., Mauresa Pittman, M.B.A. and
Kris Wetterstrand, M.S.
Videographer/Editor: Alvaro Encinas
Graphics/Technical Support: Darryl Leja and Mukul Nerurkar
Office of Communications
National Human Genome Research Institute
National Institutes of Health
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
