Looking Ahead: The Human Genome Project Genetic research will continue to bring with it new questions as it speeds into the twenty-first century. Research is largely funded by an international effort to create a genetic and physical map of the human genome. The Human Genome Project (HGP), launched in the United States in the late 1980s, is a phenomenal investment of public money in biological research. The National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Energy will spend a combined $240 million on the HGP this year. Evidence of progress comes in increasingly frequent reports of new discoveries and understanding of how genes work. The genomic maps being developed through the HGP will provide precise information about the structure, organization and characteristics of human DNA. This information constitutes the basic set of inherited "instructions" for the development and functioning of every human being. The genome project is responsible for the isolation of a number of genes, such as those associated with cystic fibrosis and other life-threatening diseases. Genes that carry a predisposition to diseases such as breast cancer, colon cancer, hypertension, diabetes and Alzheimer's disease have been localized to specific chromosomal regions. From the start of the HGP, it was understood that peering into the human blueprint would have momentous implications for both individuals and society and would pose a number of significant choices for public and professional deliberation. Some people, for example, believe that the resources devoted to this research should be used instead to provide better public health care and education. Others are concerned that misunderstanding or misuse of genetic information will magnify existing inequalities. As such, some people believe there is cause for concern that genetics may not be used for the "greater good." Clearly there is promise in genetic research, but there may also be unanticipated consequences. The targeted conclusion date of the HGP is 2003, although many believe it will be completed sooner. As the project moves forward, the promises and pitfalls of genetic research will continue to be debated. We will all need to grapple with the knowledge that discoveries in science and medicine may come faster than our ability to understand and process them.