The 13-Year Trek: Completion for Genomics and Momentum for Connectomics

The Human Genome Project (HGP) and the Human Connectome Project (HCP) are two landmark scientific research projects aimed at unlocking the secrets of human biology. While the HGP successfully mapped the entire human DNA sequence in 2013 after 13 years of international collaboration, the HCP, launched in 2010 under the Blueprint Grand Challenge, will reach the same 13-year benchmark in 2023. During the same timeframe, connectomics still faces substantial challenges in achieving completion due to the complexity of mapping neural connectivity. This review adopts a retrospective approach to document how methodological innovations during pilot studies led to acceleration in both genomics and connectomics. Particular attention is given to discussing roadblocks of connectomics research, which contributed to comparatively slower progress than the HGP.

Abstract