Y chromosome sequencing another milestone for UC Santa Cruz scientists
I am proud to share that our UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute played a leading role in sequencing the Y chromosome. It is a significant achievement that finally completes a set of end-to-end sequenced human chromosomes, adding 30 million new bases to the human genome reference. These bases provide crucial insight for those studying reproduction, evolution, and population change.
For decades, the Y chromosome—one of the two human sex chromosomes—has been notoriously difficult for scientists to sequence due to the complexity of its structure. Researchers from the international Telomere-to-Telomere (T2T) consortium, co-led by UC Santa Cruz Assistant Professor of Biomolecular Engineering Karen Miga, announced the mapping in a paper published today in the journal Nature.
The sequencing is the latest step forward in a sustained push by UC Santa Cruz researchers to decipher the human genetic code. Our campus made history in 2000, when our researchers provided the computational solution that produced the first assembly of the human genome as part of the international Human Genome Project. It is considered one of history’s great scientific feats. In 2022, the T2T Consortium announced it had assembled the first complete sequencing of a human genome, filling in regions that had long eluded scientists because of the limitations of DNA-sequencing technologies. Earlier this year, Santa Cruz faculty and researchers continued to advance the field through the release of the first draft of a Human Pangenome Reference, which combines the genome sequences of 47 individuals from different ancestral backgrounds, boosting our collective understanding of human biology and genomic diversity.
The complete annotated Y chromosome reference is now available for use on the UCSC Genome Browser. The open-source browser is used by geneticists, molecular biologists and physicians, and students and teachers worldwide for access to genomic information.
The UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute is housed under the Baskin School of Engineering and brings together data sharing, biotechnology, and massive computing power in an effort to expand the limits of genomics in medicine and conservation science, revolutionizing our understanding of health and nature. We are thrilled to have such a talented, collaborative team that is regularly pushing the boundaries of knowledge for the betterment of the world.
Sincerely,
Cindy
Cynthia Larive
UC Santa Cruz Chancellor
UC Santa Cruz leads at the intersection of innovation and social justice, and is one of only five AAU-member institutions designated both as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and an Asian American Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution, highlighting our commitment to equitable educational access and research excellence.
