A project aimed at revolutionising medicine by unlocking the secrets of DNA has got underway across England as the first genetic codes of people with cancer or rare diseases have been successfully sequenced.
British Prime Minister David Cameron said in a statement, "This agreement will see the UK lead the world in genetic research within years. As our plan becomes a reality, I believe we will be able to transform how devastating diseases are diagnosed and treated in the NFS and across the world".
"Experts believe it will lead to targeted therapies and could make chemotherapy "a thing of the past".
Just one human genome contains more than three billion base pairs, the building blocks of DNA.
The latest four-year project, which will look at 100,000 genomes, is being run by Genomics England and will involve patients from the country's National Health Service (NHS).
Pilot schemes have been set up at centres across England including sites in Newcastle, Cambridge and London.
The project has now passed the 100 genome mark, with the aim of reaching 1,000 by the end of the year and 10,000 by the end of 2015.
The genome of a patient's tumour will be scoured for differences with the genetic code of their healthy tissue.
People with rare diseases, usually children, will have their DNA compared with that of close relatives.
Patients who donate DNA must sign a consent form to allow academics, doctors and industry access to data for their research.
They argue that understanding DNA will soon play a role in every aspect of medicine from cancer to cardiology.
Cancer is one of the main areas the project will focus on.
