The Next 20 Years of Genome Sciences

The last 20 years have been a remarkable era for biology and medicine. One of the most significant achievements has been the sequencing of the first human genomes, including the recent publication of the first complete human genome. These achievements have laid the foundation for profound insights into genetics, the intricacies of regulation and development, and the forces of evolution. Incredibly, as we look into the future over the next two decades, we see the very real potential for sequencing more than 1 billion genomes, bringing even deeper insight into human genetics as well as the genetics of millions of other species on the planet. Realizing this great potential for medicine and biology, though, will only be achieved through the integration and development of new computational and quantitative approaches that can keep pace with the rapid improvements to biotechnology. In this lecture, Schatz aims to chart out these technologies, anticipate the major themes of research, and call out the challenges ahead.