In this issue... 

Also available in pdf.

1997 Santa Fe Highlights 
Patrinos Address 
Joint Genome Institute (JGI) Comes of Age 
JGI Sequencing 
JGI Informatics 
JGI and Bermuda Quality Sequence 
Grants Awarded for JGI Collaboration 
JGI Sequencing Clones 
Sequencing Strategies,Tools 
Gene-Discovery Resources 
Sequencing at NIH NHGRI 
Functional Genomics 
Data Surge Challenges Informaticists 
Genome Annotation: Informatics Advances Needed for Age of Functional Genomics 
ELSI: Rapid Progress Accelerates Societal Impact of Genome Research 
1999 DOE HGP Meeting Set for California 

Human Genome Project Administration 
New 5-Year Goals, Project Midpoint 
DOE, NIH Discuss Informatics 
JASON Group Review 
BER Genome Instrumentation Research 

In the News 
Private-Sector Sequencing Plan 
Bang for the Buck: Government-Backed Research Underpins Potentially High Payoff Ventures 
Palmisano Joins DOE OBER 
DNA Files series to be on NPR 
HUGO Addresses Sample Collection 
Sickle Cell Mice May Lead to New Treatments 
TIGR Sequencing 6 More Microbes 
Tuberculosis Microbe Sequenced 
C. Elegans Sequencing Nears Finish 
HGMIS Website Restructured 
cDNA Cloning Workshop Identifies Critical Issues 
Survey Identifies Growing Need for Synchrotron Analyses 
NCGR Announcements 

Publications 
Report on Functional Consequences of Gene Expression 
Book on Tuskegee Conference 
Book Focuses on Biomarker Implications, Conference Proceedings 
Genome Analysis Protocol Handbook 

Software and the Internet 
Mouse Genome Informatics Release 2.0 
New System Identifies Polymorphisms 
DOE Supports Web Site for 1997 AAAS Genome Symposium 
Expressed Human Genome Database 

Funding 
DOE ELSI 
NIH NHGRI 
NHGRI Initiates Mailing List 
U.S. Genome Research Funding 

Meeting Calendars & Acronyms 
Genome and Biotechnology Meetings 
Training Courses and Workshops 
Acronyms 

HGN archives and subscriptions   
HGP Information home 

JGI and "Bermuda-Quality" Sequence

The international sequencing community holds an annual meeting in Bermuda, sponsored by the Wellcome Trust, DOE, and NIH to set standards for DNA sequence with respect to cost, quality, timeliness of submission, and level of annotation. For details, see "Policies on Release of Human Genomic Sequence Data".

Standards for JGI meet or exceed those for "Bermuda-quality."

• Sequencing targets: Megabase-sized (or larger) regions are the preferred targets to maximize biological impact.
• Coverage: Goal is to complete sequence continuity across a target region, as feasible (no more than 1 gap in 200 kb on average).
• Sequence accuracy: The acceptable error rate in finished sequence is 1 in 10,000 bases. JGI is using a rules-based approach for achieving this standard, which requires a minimum Phrap consensus value of 40 for each base and greater than 95% double-stranded coverage, with a minimum coverage of 2 high-quality reads with 1 read on the opposite strand.
• Clone assembly verification: Two independent approaches will be used to verify accuracy of a clone's finished sequence.
• Data submission and annotation: Minimum submission is the size of the starting clone, with 95% of sequence represented on both strands and all ambiguities resolved; sequences will be annotated to the extent feasible at the time of submission, largely automated; immediate release of finished annotated sequence.

The electronic form of the newsletter may be cited in the following style:
Human Genome Program, U.S. Department of Energy, Human Genome News (v9n3).