Neanderthal Genome Sequenced using DNA from 38,000 Year Old Bones
Latest-generation DNA sequencing technology helped scientists achieve this feat
This spring, a particularly interesting milestone on the road to genetic medicine was achieved. The genome of Neanderthal man has been sequenced at the 1X level. It is a remarkable accomplishment by scientists from both the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, and 454 Life Sciences Inc. , a division of Roche Holdings.
The final Neanderthal draft sequence is made up of three billion bases of Neanderthal DNA. This represents an estimated two-thirds of the entire genome. A research team has been assembled to evaluate and analyze the Neanderthal genome. Their findings may be published by the end of the year.
