As you probably know from reading the Textbook section, DNA is read by the cell in triplets.  Each set of three base pairs codes for an amino acid, which is the building block for the over 50,000 kinds of proteins in your body.  These proteins direct growth and allow your body to function properly.  The Human Genome Project hopes to find out what each segment of your DNA does.

The Basics
        The Human Genome Project will cost nearly 40% the money required to build the International Space Station.  It is funded by the United States Department of Energy and the National Institutes of Health.  The 15 year project is working with over 400 teams, although half the budget goes to 21 main research centers.
        The Human Genome Project is scheduled to be finished in 2005.  Its basic goal is to find all the genes in the human body, as well as other model organisms, and to determine the function of those genes.  However, with 1990's technology, that goal was not accomplishable in 15 years.  Therefore, the goals of the project also include the development of new technology to rapidly sequence and interpret the DNA.

History
        Back in 1985, a group of physicians got together and decided that the medical community should declare war on cancer.  Of course, the first order of business was to figure out what caused cancer in the first place.  Well, radiation can cause cancer.  Why does radiation cause cancer?  Because it alters the genetic structure of the cell.  What part of the DNA is altered?  No one knew.  At that moment, the idea of mapping the human genome became very popular.  In 1990, the Department of Energy and the National Institutes of Health launched the Human Genome Project.

Goals
        In addition to mapping the human genome, the project is also mapping several model organisms -- animals that share certain aspects of humanity.  Among a few others, scientists are mapping the mouse (vertebrate; very similar to humans), the roundworm (multicellular), a yeast (cell with nucleus), and E. coli (alive).  They chose these organism because they each share progressively less in common with humans, and they have all been subjects of scientific scrutiny for some time.  In fact, most genetic engineering work is done either with mice or E. coli bacteria.  Please note that the scientists are working with a harmless form of E. coli and not its dangerous cousin.
        The Human Genome Project's goal, basically stated, is to map the entire human genome, find out what each of your genes does, and discover the sequence of the base pairs of those genes.  The data gathered in this project can be used to develop tests for genetic conditions and susceptibilities.  This information is potentially very useful; if a man finds that he is genetically prone to a heart attack, he may eat a healthier diet or begin to exercise.  The same testing can also be used to predict side effects or effectiveness of medication.  It can determine if you are a carrier for certain recessive diseases.  The vast amount of data collected by the Human Genome Project can be put to very good use, but it can also be abused; discrimination based on "faulty" genes may be a very real issue in the future.  Therefore, the Human Genome Project also devotes 5% of its budget to looking at the implications of its research.

Ethics
        One of the unique aspects of the Human Genome Project is that it has a sub-program called ELSI that looks at the Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications of the Human Genome Project, trying to address issues before they come up.
        Genetic testing holds bright promise for the near future.  However, there is also a great debate about what sort of information should be made available, and to whom.  For instance, who is allowed access to genetic information?  You?  Your doctor?  Adoption agencies?  Employers?  Insurance companies?  The government?  Access isn't the only problem.  If you found out that you would become terminally ill at age 45, and there was nothing you could do about it, would that affect your life so adversely that it would be better not to know?  ELSI tries to come up with answers to tough questions before all of the Human Genome Project's data is acquired and released.