Universitat de Barcelona
Universitat de Barcelona
02/10/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 02/10/2026 06:31
The UB commemorates the 25th anniversary of the sequencing of the human genome
The UB commemorates the 25th anniversary of the sequencing of the human genome
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- Researcher Tim Hubbard, from Genomics England, will give a lecture at the event inaugurating the anniversary celebrations, which will also feature the only two scientists from Spain who participated in the international project 25 years ago.
Paranymph of the Historical Building on the UB.
News | Research | Institutional | Technology | Health
10/02/2026
On 12 February 2001, the scientific journals Nature and Science announced the publication of the first sequencing of the human genome. This giant leap forward in the world of science has revolutionized our understanding of human biology and genetics and biomedical research. Only two scientists from Spain participated in this ambitious project, which was technically extremely difficult: experts Josep Francesc Abril, from the Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics at the Faculty of Biology and the Institute of Biomedicine at the University of Barcelona (IBUB), and Roderic Guigó, from the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG-UPF) and the Institute of Catalan Studies (IEC). Thanks to their collaboration with the company Celera Genomics, Abril and Guigó were able to develop software in Barcelona that allowed them to integrate thousands of data points and obtain, for the first time, a visual map of the human genome.
Paranymph of the Historical Building on the UB.
News | Research | Institutional | Technology | Health
10/02/2026
On 12 February 2001, the scientific journals Nature and Science announced the publication of the first sequencing of the human genome. This giant leap forward in the world of science has revolutionized our understanding of human biology and genetics and biomedical research. Only two scientists from Spain participated in this ambitious project, which was technically extremely difficult: experts Josep Francesc Abril, from the Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics at the Faculty of Biology and the Institute of Biomedicine at the University of Barcelona (IBUB), and Roderic Guigó, from the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG-UPF) and the Institute of Catalan Studies (IEC). Thanks to their collaboration with the company Celera Genomics, Abril and Guigó were able to develop software in Barcelona that allowed them to integrate thousands of data points and obtain, for the first time, a visual map of the human genome.
On 16 February at 5.00 p.m., the Paranymph Hall of the UB's Historic Building will host the opening event commemorating the 25th anniversary of the human genome publication (25APGH). Organized by the Biodiversity Research Institute (IRBio) and the IBUB, the event will begin with the lecture "Past, Present and Future of the Human Genome" by Professor Tim Hubbard (King's College London), who will provide an expert perspective on the journey from the publication of the genome to the emerging technologies that are redefining medicine and biology.
This will be followed by a roundtable discussion bringing together researchers Josep Francesc Abril, Roderic Guigó and Gemma Marfany, professor at the UB's Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics. The three will review the past and present of research in the field of genomics and the prominent role that Catalonia has played - and continues to play - in this field at an international level.
As a bridge between the worlds of art and science, the event will also feature a performance by contemporary pianist Lluïsa Espigolé of the work Verbum: genoma in musica, by composer Joan Guinjoan.
The event will close with speeches by the president of the IEC, Teresa Cabré; the Catalan Minister for Research and Universities, Núria Montserrat; and the rector of the UB, Joan Guàrdia.
The event is open to the public, with prior registration.
Researcher Tim Hubbard, from Genomics England, will give a lecture at the event inaugurating the anniversary celebrations, which will also feature the only two scientists from Spain who participated in the international project 25 years ago.
News article from El País on 12 February 2001 announcing
the sequencing of the human genome.
the sequencing of the human genome.
A wide-ranging programme of activities and educational initiatives
This is the first of a wide-ranging programme of science communication activities that will take place throughout 2026 and will include conferences, scientific seminars, educational workshops and exhibitions, among others. The aim is to show how knowledge of the human genome continues to revolutionize the way we understand life.
The programme, which includes various activities and educational initiatives at the Faculty of Biology, is promoted by IRBio and IBUB in collaboration with IEC and the Catalan Biology Society (SCB). The closing ceremony of the 25APGH will take place during the SCB Bioinformatics Conference, which is scheduled to be held in the Aula Magna of the UB's Faculty of Biology on 10 and 11 December 2026.
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