Editing Genome project (section)

==Historical and technological perspectives==
Historically, when sequencing eukaryotic genomes (such as the worm ''[[Caenorhabditis elegans]]'') it was common to first [[Gene mapping|map]] the genome to provide a series of landmarks across the genome. Rather than sequence a chromosome in one go, it would be sequenced piece by piece (with the prior knowledge of approximately where that piece is located on the larger chromosome). Changes in technology and in particular improvements to the processing power of computers, means that genomes can now be '[[Whole genome shotgun sequencing|shotgun sequenced]]' in one go (there are caveats to this approach though when compared to the traditional approach).

Improvements in [[DNA sequencing]] technology have meant that the cost of sequencing a new genome sequence has steadily fallen (in terms of cost per [[base pair]]) and newer technology has also meant that genomes can be sequenced far more quickly.

When research agencies decide what new genomes to sequence, the emphasis has been on species which are either high importance as [[model organism]] or have a relevance to human health (e.g. pathogenic [[bacteria]] or [[Vector (epidemiology)|vectors]] of disease such as [[mosquito]]s) or species which have commercial importance (e.g. livestock and crop plants). Secondary emphasis is placed on species whose genomes will help answer important questions in [[molecular evolution]] (e.g. the [[common chimpanzee]]).

In the future, it is likely that it will become even cheaper and quicker to sequence a genome. This will allow for complete genome sequences to be determined from many different individuals of the same species. For humans, this will allow us to better understand aspects of [[Human Genome Diversity Project|human genetic diversity]].