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Overview of the Division of Intramural Research

Although the conclusion of the Human Genome Project - almost 50 years to date after the discovery of the structure of DNA by Watson and Crick - was a magnificent achievement, it was really only the first step. In 1993, in order to fulfill the ultimate goal of the National Insitutes of Health (NIH) - to change the face of medicine - the Director of NIH established a dynamic, cutting-edge "intramural" research program within the then National Center for Human Genome Research to be the focal point of genetics and genomics research for both the NIH and the world. It was envisioned that this intramural research division would develop the cutting-edge genomic expertise and technology that other research institutions, including other NIH Institutes, could then use to gain insight into the various hereditary and genetic disorders plaguing humankind.

Today, NHGRI's Division of Intramural Research is a more than 400-person organization with close to a $100 million annual budget, and has become one of the premier research centers in the world, working to clarify the genetic basis of human disease. NHGRI intramural investigators are developing a variety of research technologies that are rapidly accelerating the scientific community's ability to understand the molecular basis of disease. These technologies include the development of:

• Robotic DNA microarrays for large-scale molecular analyses of complex genetic pathways and their products
  
  
• Innovative computer software to decipher large quantities of genomic data and make a highly accurate diagnoses of genetically influenced diseases
  
  
• Animal models critical to the study of human inherited disorders

Armed with these powerful new technologies, Division of Intramural Research investigators and their collaborators at other NIH institutes and centers and other research institutions worldwide have embarked on a high-risk effort to unearth clues about the complex genetic pathways that contribute to a number of common but debilitating disorders. Already, Division of Intramural Research investigators have used genomic sequence data from humans as well as model (reference) organisms to pinpoint hundreds of potential disease genes, including those for premature aging, neurological disorders, Type 2 diabetes, breast and prostate cancer, and Parkinson's disease. At the same time, NHGRI intramural clinicians and basic scientists are working hand in hand to develop better approaches for detecting, diagnosing and managing a number of lesser-known but equally debilitating rare genetic afflictions that have stumped medical science for generations.

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Posted: June 2004