Internet: a computer support tool for building the human genome

Abstract

The Internet's ability to link the international community's research and information services provides the Human Genome Project (HGP) with an inexhaustible information tool. The HGP sequences the adenine, guanine, cytosine and thymirne A, G, C, T character strings of the DNA of modern man and stores the data in international genomic databases. Remote operation of multiprocessor programs such as RETRIEVE and BLAST provides the latest genetic characteristics of any disease or matches a DNA character string with a yet to be discovered gene or protein. A typical application, finding the Alzheimer's Disease related genetic allele; determining the hybridizing probe for test; mapping the flanking markers on chromosome 19, demonstrates the power of Internet. The Protein Data Bank imaging programs like KINEMAGE and files containing protein atomic coordinates are available over the Internet. Within minutes the executable program and the protein file can be downloaded and imaged on a home PC. Laboratory automatic DNA sequencers are described in addition to commercial awards for new DNA Diagnostics Tools; a fledgling industry freshly seeded. The informational distribution services of the Internet connected to the voluminous databases of the HGP is a successful application of communications at the start of the Gene Age.<>