ROCKVILLE, Md.--Celera Genomics announced that it has sequenced and delivered to its subscribers approximately 1.2 billion base pairs of human DNA. The company, which began sequencing the human genome on September 9, has identified a large number of new gene fragments. "Included in this set are several thousand receptors, ion channels, and secreted proteins that we believe will be of significant interest to pharmaceutical companies," said Craig Venter, Celera's president and chief scientific officer.
Separately, Venter recently said the company may have a draft map of the human genome as early as June next year, according to a Reuters Health report.