Daniel Cohen (left),French molecular biologist & co-director of Genethon,a large molecular genetics laboratory near Paris. Funded by the French Association for Muscular Dystrophy (AFM),Genethon is dedicated to decoding the human genome & highlight those genes responsible for numerous inherited disorders,with treatment an ultimate goal. Mapping,or building physical maps of chromosomes by cutting lengths of DNA into more manageable sections,is a key first stage. In 1992,Cohen announced a process that speeded-up this mapping process,using an artificial chromosome,the megaYAC,capable of storing large sections of DNA,to map all of chromosome 21 |