The multinational effort to sequence the human genome

Genome

In modern molecular biology and genetics, the genome is the entirety of an organism's hereditary information. It is encoded either in DNA or, for many types of virus, in RNA. The genome includes both the genes and the non-coding sequences of the DNA/RNA....

 generated vast quantities of data about the genetic make-up of humans and other organisms. But, in some respects, even more remarkable than the impressive quantity of data generated by the human genome project

Human Genome Project

The Human Genome Project is an international scientific research project with a primary goal of determining the sequence of chemical base pairs which make up DNA, and of identifying and mapping the approximately 20,000–25,000 genes of the human genome from both a physical and functional...

 (HGP) is the speed at which that data has been released to the public. At a 1996 summit in Bermuda

Bermuda

Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...

, leaders of the scientific community agreed on a groundbreaking set of principles requiring that all DNA

DNA

Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...

 sequence data be released in publicly-accessible databases within twenty-four hours after generation. These “Bermuda Principles

Bermuda Principles

The multinational effort to sequence the human genome generated vast quantities of data about the genetic make-up of humans and other organisms. But, in some respects, even more remarkable than the impressive quantity of data generated by the human genome project is the speed at which that data...

” (also known as the "Bermuda Accord") contravened the typical practice in the sciences of making experimental data available only after publication. These principles represent a significant achievement of private ordering in shaping the practices of an entire industry and have established rapid pre-publication data release as the norm in genomics

Genomics

Genomics is a discipline in genetics concerning the study of the genomes of organisms. The field includes intensive efforts to determine the entire DNA sequence of organisms and fine-scale genetic mapping efforts. The field also includes studies of intragenomic phenomena such as heterosis,...

 and other fields.

The three principles retained originally were:

• Automatic release of sequence assemblies larger than 1 kb (preferably within 24 hours).
• Immediate publication of finished annotated sequences.
• Aim to make the entire sequence freely available in the public domain for both research and development in order to maximise benefits to society.

Sources

• John E. Sulston: Heritage of Humanity, Le Monde diplomatique, Dec. 2002
• Summary of principles agreed at the International Strategy Meeting on Human Genome Sequencing - Human Genome Organization's Website
• Jorge L. Contreras, "Bermuda's Legacy: Policy, Patents and the Design of the Genome Commons", Minnesota Journal of Law, Science & Technology, Vol. 12, p. 61, 2011