Is it possible to completely eradicate the disease? Half a century ago, little was known about the influence of genetics on disease. In 1953, James Watson and Francis Crick discovered the double helix structure of DNA. In the mid-1970s, methods were developed to determine the order, or sequence, of chemical letters in DNA. The human genome was completely unknown to humans until 1990, when the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Department of Energy teamed up with international partners to complete the entire 3 billion base pairs of the human genome. The goal of this project was to understand the genetic drivers of human diseases and hopefully find ways to diagnose, treat and prevent diseases. The Human Genome Project supported an ethical, legal and social research program to address the many questions that could arise from this study. The Human Genome Project must continue because it has the potential to find a cure for countless diseases. In April 2003, researchers successfully completed the human genome project, more than two years ahead of schedule. The Human Genome Project has already led to the discovery of more than 1,800 disease-causing genes (“NIH Fact Sheets…”). Thanks to the Human Genome Project, researchers can discover a gene suspected of causing an inherited disease in days, instead of years that it would have previously taken. “The development of HapMap was a major milestone. The HapMap is a catalog of common genetic differences in the human genome. The HapMap has accelerated the search for genes with a say in common human diseases and has already produced results in discovering genetic factors involved in conditions ranging from age-related blindness to obesity” (NIH Fact Sheet). The Can...... middle of paper ......e, not only humans are affected by this project. Through the Human Genome Project, Americans can make our crops more resilient by increasing their size. Why stop there? The Human Genome Project could be used to affect our livestock, making them mature more quickly and even making their organs more compatible with humans (Narcissus). The Human Genome Project is essential for the human race to advance. With the ability to decimate human disease and even increase food supplies, people will increase life expectancy while reducing the percentage of people around the world who go hungry every day. There may even be limits to the legal aspects of the Human Genome Project's results that will appease civil rights activists and preserve ethics and diversity while improving humanity. Humans will never again have to fear disease or hunger. The future looks bright for all humanity.