300 Longwood Avenue Boston, MA 02115 (617) 355-6000 My Child Has: Human Genome Project Programs that treat this condition Genetics Program   What is the Human Genome Project and how does it relate to the identification and treatment of birth defects? The Human Genome Project, which began in 1990, is a government funded project to map all of the human genes (70,000 total) on the 46 chromosomes. After the atomic bomb was developed and used, the US Congress charged the Department of Energy to study and analyze the effects of by-products of radiation such as those caused by the atomic bomb. It was determined that the best way to do this was to analyze the entire human genome. In conjunction with the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the following goals were set: to identify all genes in human DNA to determine the sequences of the three billion chemical base pairs that make up human DNA and store this information in databases to develop tools for data analysis The information on this website should not be taken as medical advice, which can only be given to you by your personal health care professional. Copyright © Children's Hospital Boston. All rights reserved.