Biologist Rob Knight, co-founder of the American Gut Project, recently moved the project to the University of California, San Diego's School of Medicine. Casey A. Cass/University of Colorado hide caption
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Recent research sequenced 48 bird species, including (from left) the budgerigar, the barn owl and the American flamingo. (Left and center)iStock; (Right) Chris Minerva/Ocean/Corbis hide caption
This skull, from the Swedish archaeological site called Motala, is thought to have come from a hunter-gatherer who died there about 8,000 years ago. Anna Arnberg hide caption
Interpreting the results from a genome scan takes a lot of people time. And the databases used to interpret the results aren't infallible. iStockphoto hide caption
Rapid whole genome sequencing could provide timely treatment options for infants in intensive care. iStockphoto hide caption
The Proton Semiconductor Sequencer from Ion Torrent Systems Inc. is a new DNA sequencing machine designed to sequence the entire human genome in about eight hours for $1,000. Ethan Miller/Getty Images hide caption
Sara Terry and her son, Christian, in Spring, Texas. After sequencing Christian's genome, doctors were able to diagnose him with a Noonan-like syndrome. Eric Kayne for NPR hide caption
Watson, now 84, says sequencing helped explain his past sensitivity to certain drugs. But he didn't want to know everything his sequenced genome revealed about his health future. Courtesy of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory hide caption
Slides containing DNA sit in a bay waiting to be analyzed by a genome sequencing machine. David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images hide caption
Human chromosomes like these contain genes and lots of other genetic material whose function has been a mystery. National Cancer Institute via AP hide caption