On 16 February, the Paranymph Hall of the University of Barcelona's Historic Building hosted the opening ceremony of the programme of events commemorating the 25th anniversary of the publication of the human genome sequence (25APGH), a breakthrough that revolutionized our understanding of human biology and genetics and biomedical research.
The event began with the lecture "Past, Present and Future of the Human Genome" by Professor Tim Hubbard (King's College London). The scientist reviewed the various events that led to the publication of the genome, recalling the economic aspect of the project and the enormous investments that were necessary, as well as the need for bioinformatics to respond to the challenge. Hubbard also highlighted the importance of scientists having access to data and of that access taking place in a secure research environment. Finally, he discussed the possibilities currently offered by artificial intelligence in genome research and expressed "optimism for the future" regarding the use of genomic sequencing to treat diseases in specific patients.
This was followed by a round table discussion with the only two Spanish scientists who participated in the publication of the human genome 25 years ago: Josep Francesc Abril, member of the Biodiversity Research Institute (IRBio) and the Institute of Biomedicine (IBUB) at the UB, and Roderic Guigó, from CRG-UPF and the Institute for Catalan Studies (IEC). Gemma Marfany, professor at the Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics at the UB, also participated in the round table.
Guigó reflected that, although not all the hopes placed in the publication of the human genome have been fulfilled, "in basic research, expectations have been far exceeded," referring to the Nobel Prizes that have since been awarded to scientists who have conducted research based on the genome map.
Abril described the publication of the human genome as "a race we all won" and expressed his desire to see "layers of depth" added to the work done so far.
Marfany explained the great advance that the publication of the genome represented for the search for diseases. "Before, we were treasure hunters, hunting for genes, and we moved very slowly, like pirates searching for treasure. Now, the Genome Project gives you the complete picture so you can find what you are looking for," he said. "Now is the time to implement the social impact of all that knowledge," he remarked.
The event, organized by IRBio and IBUB, ended with several institutional speeches. Jaume Reventós, president of the Biological Sciences Section of the IEC, described the publication of the genome as "a victory for everyone, a step forward for humanity", and Teresa Sanchis, general director of Research at the Government of Catalonia, pointed out the importance of "advances reaching the people".
The rector of the UB, Joan Guàrdia, emphasized that "such a short period of time, 25 years, has had an enormous, spectacular impact". "Science makes things change in the right direction," he said. He also highlighted that the human genome sequencing project is an example of how science should create "trust between different specialities, which must share data" and how research "generates hope".
The event also featured a performance by contemporary pianist Lluïsa Espigolé of the work Verbum: genoma in musica, by composer Joan Guinjoan.
