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Feature Friday, November 11, 2011 SEND THIS PAGE TO YOUR FRIENDS June 26, 2000 Statement by President Bill Clinton on Advance in Gene Research - Completed Mapping of the Human Genome "In coming years, doctors increasingly will be able to cure diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, diabetes and cancer by attacking their genetic roots." THE
PRESIDENT:
Good
morning.
I
want
to,
first
of
all,
acknowledge
Prime
Minister
Blair,
who
will
join
us
by
satellite
in
just
a
moment,
from
London.
I
want
to
welcome
here
the
Ambassadors
from
the
United
Kingdom,
Japan,
Germany,
France.
And
I'd
also
like
to
acknowledge
the
contributions
not
only
that
their
scientists,
but
also
scientists
from
China,
made
to
the
vast
international
consortium
that
is
the
Human
Genome
Project.
I
thank
Secretary
Shalala,
who
could
not
be
here
today;
and
Secretary
Richardson,
who
is
here.
Dr.
Ruth
Kirschstein,
Dr.
Rai
Patrinos,
scientists
of
the
Department
of
Health
and
Human
Services
and
the
Department
of
Energy,
who
have
played
an
important
role
in
the
Human
Genome
Project.
I
want
to
say
a
special
word
of
thanks
to
my
Science
Advisor,
Dr.
Neal
Lane.
And
of
course,
to
Dr.
Francis
Collins,
the
Director
of
the
International
Human
Genome
Project;
and
to
the
Celera
President,
Craig
Venter.
I
thank
Senator
Harkin
and
Senator
Sarbanes
for
being
here,
and
the
other
distinguished
guests.
Nearly
two
centuries
ago,
in
this
room,
on
this
floor,
Thomas
Jefferson
and
a
trusted
aide
spread
out
a
magnificent
map
--
a
map
Jefferson
had
long
prayed
he
would
get
to
see
in
his
lifetime.
The
aide
was
Meriwether
Lewis
and
the
map
was
the
product
of
his
courageous
expedition
across
the
American
frontier,
all
the
way
to
the
Pacific.
It
was
a
map
that
defined
the
contours
and
forever
expanded
the
frontiers
of
our
continent
and
our
imagination.
Today,
the
world
is
joining
us
here
in
the
East
Room
to
behold
a
map
of
even
greater
significance.
We
are
here
to
celebrate
the
completion
of
the
first
survey
of
the
entire
human
genome.
Without
a
doubt,
this
is
the
most
important,
most
wondrous
map
ever
produced
by
humankind.
The
moment
we
are
here
to
witness
was
brought
about
through
brilliant
and
painstaking
work
of
scientists
all
over
the
world,
including
many
men
and
women
here
today.
It
was
not
even
50
years
ago
that
a
young
Englishman
named
Crick
and
a
brash
even
younger
American
named
Watson,
first
discovered
the
elegant
structure
of
our
genetic
code.
"Dr.
Watson,
the
way
you
announced
your
discovery
in
the
journal
'Nature,'
was
one
of
the
great
understatements
of
all
time.
This
structure
has
novel
features,
which
are
of
considerable
biological
interest."
(Laughter.)
Thank
you,
sir.
(Applause.)
How
far
we
have
come
since
that
day.
In
the
intervening
years,
we
have
pooled
the
combined
wisdom
of
biology,
chemistry,
physics,
engineering,
mathematics
and
computer
science;
tapped
the
great
strengths
and
insights
of
the
public
and
private
sectors.
More
than
1,000
researchers
across
six
nations
have
revealed
nearly
all
3
billion
letters
of
our
miraculous
genetic
code.
I
congratulate
all
of
you
on
this
stunning
and
humbling
achievement.
Today's
announcement
represents
more
than
just
an
epic-making
triumph
of
science
and
reason.
After
all,
when
Galileo
discovered
he
could
use
the
tools
of
mathematics
and
mechanics
to
understand
the
motion
of
celestial
bodies,
he
felt,
in
the
words
of
one
eminent
researcher,
"that
he
had
learned
the
language
in
which
God
created
the
universe."
Today,
we
are
learning
the
language
in
which
God
created
life.
We
are
gaining
ever
more
awe
for
the
complexity,
the
beauty,
the
wonder
of
God's
most
divine
and
sacred
gift.
With
this
profound
new
knowledge,
humankind
is
on
the
verge
of
gaining
immense,
new
power
to
heal.
Genome
science
will
have
a
real
impact
on
all
our
lives
--
and
even
more,
on
the
lives
of
our
children.
It
will
revolutionize
the
diagnosis,
prevention
and
treatment
of
most,
if
not
all,
human
diseases.
In
coming
years,
doctors
increasingly
will
be
able
to
cure
diseases
like
Alzheimer's,
Parkinson's,
diabetes
and
cancer
by
attacking
their
genetic
roots.
Just
to
offer
one
example,
patients
with
some
forms
of
leukemia
and
breast
cancer
already
are
being
treated
in
clinical
trials
with
sophisticated
new
drugs
that
precisely
target
the
faulty
genes
and
cancer
cells,
with
little
or
no
risk
to
healthy
cells.
In
fact,
it
is
now
conceivable
that
our
children's
children
will
know
the
term
cancer
only
as
a
constellation
of
stars.
But
today's
historic
achievement
is
only
a
starting
point.
There
is
much
hard
work
yet
to
be
done.
That
is
why
I'm
so
pleased
to
announce
that
from
this
moment
forward,
the
robust
and
healthy
competition
that
has
led
us
to
this
day
and
that
always
is
essential
to
the
progress
of
science,
will
be
coupled
with
enhanced
public-private
cooperation.
Public
and
private
research
teams
are
committed
to
publishing
their
genomic
data
simultaneously
later
this
year,
for
the
benefit
of
researchers
in
every
corner
of
the
globe.
And
after
publication,
both
sets
of
teams
will
join
together
for
an
historic
sequence
analysis
conference.
Together,
they
will
examine
what
scientific
insights
have
been
gleaned
from
both
efforts,
and
how
we
can
most
judiciously
proceed
toward
the
next
majestic
horizons.
What
are
those
next
horizons?
Well,
first,
we
will
complete
a
virtually
error-free
final
draft
of
the
human
genome
before
the
50th
anniversary
of
the
discovery
of
the
double
helix,
less
than
three
years
from
now.
Second,
through
sustained
and
vigorous
support
for
public
and
private
research,
we
must
sort
through
this
trove
of
genomic
data
to
identify
every
human
gene.
We
must
discover
the
function
of
these
genes
and
their
protein
products,
and
then
we
must
rapidly
convert
that
knowledge
into
treatments
that
can
lengthen
and
enrich
lives.
I
want
to
emphasize
that
biotechnology
companies
are
absolutely
essential
in
this
endeavor.
For
it
is
they
who
will
bring
to
the
market
the
life-enhancing
applications
of
the
information
from
the
human
genome.
And
for
that
reason,
this
administration
is
committed
to
helping
them
to
make
the
kind
of
long-term
investments
that
will
change
the
face
of
medicine
forever.
The
third
horizon
that
lies
before
us
is
one
that
science
cannot
approach
alone.
It
is
the
horizon
that
represents
the
ethical,
moral
and
spiritual
dimension
of
the
power
we
now
possess.
We
must
not
shrink
from
exploring
that
far
frontier
of
science.
But
as
we
consider
how
to
use
new
discovery,
we
must
also
not
retreat
from
our
oldest
and
most
cherished
human
values.
We
must
ensure
that
new
genome
science
and
its
benefits
will
be
directed
toward
making
life
better
for
all
citizens
of
the
world,
never
just
a
privileged
few.
As
we
unlock
the
secrets
of
the
human
genome,
we
must
work
simultaneously
to
ensure
that
new
discoveries
never
pry
open
the
doors
of
privacy.
And
we
must
guarantee
that
genetic
information
cannot
be
used
to
stigmatize
or
discriminate
against
any
individual
or
group.
Increasing
knowledge
of
the
human
genome
must
never
change
the
basic
belief
on
which
our
ethics,
our
government,
our
society
are
founded.
All
of
us
are
created
equal,
entitled
to
equal
treatment
under
the
law.
After
all,
I
believe
one
of
the
great
truths
to
emerge
from
this
triumphant
expedition
inside
the
human
genome
is
that
in
genetic
terms,
all
human
beings,
regardless
of
race,
are
more
than
99.9
percent
the
same.
What
that
means
is
that
modern
science
has
confirmed
what
we
first
learned
from
ancient
fates.
The
most
important
fact
of
life
on
this
Earth
is
our
common
humanity.
My
greatest
wish
on
this
day
for
the
ages
is
that
this
incandescent
truth
will
always
guide
our
actions
as
we
continue
to
march
forth
in
this,
the
greatest
age
of
discovery
ever
known.
Now,
it
is
my
great
pleasure
to
turn
to
my
friend,
Prime
Minister
Tony
Blair,
who
is
joined
in
the
State
Dining
Room
at
10
Downing
Street
by
Dr.
Fred
Sanger
and
other
world-renowned
scientists.
With
the
generous
support
of
the
Welcome
Trust,
British
scientists
have
played
an
invaluable
role
in
reaching
this
milestone.
On
behalf
of
the
American
people,
I
would
like
to
thank
the
Prime
Minister,
the
scientists,
and
the
British
nation
for
the
brilliant
work
you
have
brought
to
this
international
effort.
And,
Mr.
Prime
Minister,
I
would
like
to
salute
not
only
your
unwavering
support
for
genome
research,
but
also
your
visionary
commitment
to
sparking
ever-greater
innovation
across
the
full
spectrum
of
science
and
technology.
And,
on
a
personal
note,
I
can't
help
but
think
that
the
year
of
your
son's
birth
will
always
be
remembered
for
the
remarkable
achievements
we
announce
today.
I
think
his
life
expectancy
has
just
gone
up
by
about
25
years.
(Laughter.)
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