75 YEARS OF VISION: THE LASTING GIFT
D
uring the late 1990s, the sequencing of the human genome had turned into a fiercely
competitive race between the publicly funded Human Genome Project (HGP) and an emerging private company, Celera Genomics, led by Chief Scientist Craig Venter, PhD. Celera’s arrival put pressure on the HGP to place as much of the genome in the public domain as quickly as possible to avoid new genes being discovered and patented by Celera. The two competing groups came together on June 26, 2000, when Dr. Venter and Francis Collins, MD, PhD, head of the U.S. Human Genome Project, announced the completion of a “working draft” of the human genome nearly three years ahead of schedule. British Prime Minister Tony Blair joined President Bill Clinton and a host of researchers via satellite in the East Room of the White House for the occasion. The HGP sequence data was released to the world through the internet, with February 2001 cover of Nature.
working drafts from Celera and HGP published in Science and Nature, respectively, in February 2001. Over the next two years, work continued to fill in the gaps with the goal of increasing sequence accuracy to 99.99 percent.
HUMAN GENOME PROJECT
MILESTONE
“Nearly two centuries ago, ... Thomas Jefferson and a trusted aide spread out a magnificent map – a map Jefferson had long prayed he would get to see in his lifetime. The aide was Meriwether Lewis and the map was the product of his courageous expedition across the American frontier, all the way to the Pacific. It was a map that defined the contours and forever expanded the frontiers of our continent and our imagination.
President Clinton announcing in the East Room of the White House the completion of the initial sequencing of the human genome.
“Today, the world is joining us here in the East Room to behold a map of even greater significance. We are here to celebrate the completion of the first survey of the entire human genome. Without a doubt, this is the most important, most wondrous map ever produced by humankind.” Excerpt from President Clinton’s speech, June 26, 2000
W
e knew that the Human Genome Project was going to be solved and open up vast
opportunities,” said Kern Wildenthal, MD, PhD, then UT Southwestern President. “One of the first steps we took was to talk to [Peter] O’Donnell and [Harold] Simmons to gauge their interest in supporting a new fundraising effort, to see if they felt it was time to take another leap forward,” Dr. Wildenthal said. Once interest was confirmed, medical school and faculty leaders came together to identify funding priorities. Specific goals were set, and the “quiet phase” of the $450 million Innovations in Medicine campaign was launched – the largest fundraising effort in the medical school’s history. William T. Solomon, a Foundation board member since 1981, was asked by Dr. Wildenthal to chair a Leadership Board of prominent civic, business and philanthropic leaders. They were joined by Foundation Chairman Paul Bass, and for the next six years the two boards, led by Bass and Solomon, worked with Dr. Wildenthal to identify and engage donors. 6