The publication of the first, unofficial drafts of the human genome, spelling out all the detailed instructions for making life, should be cause for great optimism at the beginning of the 21st century. Leaving aside extremist hype about bringing an end to cancers and ageing, not to mention fears about what might be done with this information in the wrong hands, the breakthrough matches any of the major scientific discoveries going back to the beginning of the industrial revolution. It ranks with splitting the atom, inventing the printing press, and the discovery of antibiotics.
Deciphering the genetic code of the most complex species on earth is a giant step which was facilitated by the discovery of the molecular structure of DNA in the early 1950s. Just as the work of Watson and Crick drove biology for most the late 20th century, the achievements of the Human Genome Project team and Celera Genomics Corporation will inform science for much of the 21st century.
It has come courtesy of a remarkable programme of publicly-funded international research over 10 years, involving hundreds of scientists in six countries freely contributing to the advancement of science and to the betterment of mankind and the late arrival into the race of a dynamic US biotechnology company headed by the maverick geneticist Dr Craig Venter. He has displayed blatant "for profit" motivation yet his arrival undoubtedly accelerated the completion of the research which was originally due to finish in 2005.
It will soon be possible to find answers to scientific questions, not only about a single gene, but the entire genome (the complete genetic make-up) of a human being. This, in time, should mean new drugs can be developed for most proteins, the working machinery of every cell. Thereby, scientists will be able to alter their function, if necessary, or help clear up malfunction. Moreover, it will add a new element of certainty to many forms of medical treatment.
A revolution in medical science, which will slowly unfold over the coming century, will not come without considerable ethical and philosophical challenges. Few states have in place the kind of legislative safeguards to ensure individuals or sections of the population are not discriminated against based on genetic information likely to be relatively easily available on their disease status or likelihood to succumb to illness.
Equally, commercial demands may undermine much of what has been achieved. The French government insisted yesterday that the human genome must remain public property and not be appropriated by anyone for commercial purposes. It is an admirable stance but one that will come under increasing pressure as research institutions, and particularly private companies, attempt to recoup colossal investments in genomics. The French research minister, Mr Roger-Gerard Schwartzenberg, said the raw DNA sequence providing basic instructions for the development of a human being "belongs to a common heritage of humanity" - a noble sentiment that must be defended at all costs; at all times.