The year 2023 brought a flurry of pivotal advancements to the field of genomics. Three large databases — one of humans, one more broadly of mammals, and one of primates (see sidebar on page 54) — are promising brand new revelations about the source code of life, especially as it pertains to our own species. A notable milestone for a one-of-a-kind repository of ancient DNA could hold similar insights from our ancestors, as well.
What Is a Genome Database?
These massive genomic repositories will grant scientists novel tools for comparing DNA between humans, between humans and animals, and between us and our ancestral relatives. While genome sequencing has been a reality for decades, much of the value of genomics lies in comparing different genomes to one another to understand how they differ, and why those differences matter. Past work in comparative genomics has revealed the underlying genetics behind conditions like autism, and has even uncovered entirely new lineages of humans. Those kinds of discoveries could be just the beginning.
