How Perl Saved the Human Genome Project

The helix graphic is reproduced from Dr. Lincoln Stein’s article “How Perl Saved the Human Genome Project” as published in the September 1996 issue of The Perl Journal.

DATE: Early February, 1996

LOCATION: Cambridge, England, in the conference room of the largest DNA sequencing center in Europe.

OCCASION: A high level meeting between the computer scientists of this center and the largest DNA sequencing center in the United States.

THE PROBLEM: Although the two centers use almost identical laboratory techniques, almost identical databases, and almost identical data analysis tools, they still can’t interchange data or meaningfully compare results.

THE SOLUTION: Perl.

Reprinted from The Perl Journal, http://www.tpj.com & Lincoln Stein’s website