What does it mean to be human? We thought that the Human Genome Project had set the limites on the genetic make-up of our species. But, according to Steve Connor, writing in the Independent today, much of the genetic variation between individuals can best be explained by the presence of multiple copies of certain key genes rather than variations in the genome sequence.
The research suggests that whereas previously we thought all people shared 99.9% of their DNA, it could be that two individuals can differ by ten times that. The research has important implications for our understanding of inherited traits and genetic disease.
The findings appear in three simultaneous papers in three leading science journals, including Nature and were reported by teams from thirteen different research centres in the UK and the US.