Los Alamos National Laboratory 



Research Facility 

 Narratives 



Introduction 



I 



n several of the key technologies necessary for the DOE Human Genome 

 Program. Los Alamos National Laboratory's (LANL'sj experience and 

 capabilities include: 



• a strong core of molecular biology expertise, 



• flow cytometry for sorting chromosomes and for single molecule detection. 



• organization of databases (GenBank" ). and 



• computer analysis of nucleic acid sequences. 



LANL has built upon this experience to develop resources, technologies, and strategies 

 for mapping and sequencing the human genome and for organizing and analyzing the 

 resulting data. 



Some of the activities of the Human Genome Program require centralization and close 

 coordination. Among these are ( 1 ) the provision of arrayed cosmid or yeast artificial 

 chromosome (YAC) libraries from sorted chromosomes that will serve as reference 

 material for physical mapping and (2) the assembly of the physical mapping and 

 sequencing information into a computer database. LANL is continuing to play a leading 

 role in providing these critical resources and in utilizing the findings and materials from 

 the genome program for basic research. 



LANL will collaborate with private industry, both to utilize the skills and resources of 

 the private sector for strengthening the Los Alamos genome program and to assure the 

 effective transfer of technologies to the U.S. commercial sector. 



Accomplishments 



LANL investigators identified and cloned the human telomere sequence, TTAGGG, 

 repeated several hundred times at the end of each human chromosome. Significant 

 features of this discovery for the Human Genome Program include the following; 



• The sequence provides definitive ends to the map of each chromosome and useful 

 starting points for physical maps. 



• The identification of the human telomere allowed 100,000-200.000 nucleotide 

 human telomeric DNA sequences to be cloned in YAC vectors (in collaboration 

 with M. Olson, Washington University). These sequences have been used to 

 construct contig maps of the ends of several human chromosomes. 



Physical mapping of human chromosome 16 is well under way at LANL. where a new 

 approach has been developed to identify overlapping cosmid clones by exploiting the 



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