The Human Genome Project burst upon the scene in the period 1985- 1986 and has become a major topic of debate among life scientists, ethicists, and policy makers. The Genome Project is often touted as the first foray into Big Biology -- a biological equivalent to the Apollo and Manhattan Projects. The debate about genome projects has had the feel of historical importance since its inception. Those arguing for and against it have self-consciously placed this project in a prominent position among the landmarks of biology. Whether it belongs in this pantheon remains to be seen, but the quality and intensity of debate and the extraordinary power and character of the advocates makes the Human Genome Project a wonderful case study in how a scientific project is placed on the national agenda, and what transpires once it is there. The Genome Project is thus an ideal opportunity to document the life sciences in transition from pure cottage industry to a mix of Big and little science. Because of the evanescence of documentation and memory of the individuals involved, it is essential to move quickly to establish a strategy for collection and preservation of materials related to the Human Genome Projects. The Kennedy Institute of Ethics, as the National Reference Center for Bioethics Literature, is holding a workshop of interested historians, social scientists, ethicists, archivists, biologists, and policy makers to begin to formulate such a national strategy. The meeting is being held at Georgetown University in October, 1990
