Much of the data collected by the Human Gene Mapping Library (New Haven, CT) is relevant to the current status of the human gene map. However, there are many types of maps of human genetic information, and there is no universal coordinate system for comparison or quantification of the various mapping efforts. Furthermore, the goals set forth by the various agencies coordinating the Human Genome Project (HGP) have not been translated into targets that can be quantified. We developed a means of quantifying progress toward a complete, integrated map of the human genome. Current estimates of the total number of loci, the number of base pairs, and the relative lengths of chromosomes and their bands are very crude. The algorithms employed in our quantitative analysis were designed to be flexible for anticipated improvements in each of these parameters. Analyses of the current status of the HGP were summarized graphically as a wall chart and in more detail as an article in Science.
