My biology class on DNA was just visited by Eric Green, the director of the National Human Genome Research Institute and a significant participant in the Human Genome Project (HGP).
Originally a $2.7 billion dollar project approved by Congress and funded by the NIH, the HGP focused on sequencing the human genome in its entirety. Unlike USPS’s monopoly on US letter delivery, this government-funded endeavor was not legally protected as a monopoly. A race to be the first to completely sequence the human genome ensued between the HGP and the private company Celera.
The HGP presents an interesting overlay of several concepts discussed in class; the extraordinary start-up costs required for early sequencing efforts (namely the equipment and specialized labor) means it exhibited some characteristics of an economy of scale, but not so much as to wholly prevent competition. The HGP involved government action opposed by some congressmen, introducing Friedman's "strain" to society. The HGP is now widely regarded as a positive externality, benefiting humanity by aiding in the development of medical advancements such as gene therapies, custom medications, and earlier disease diagnoses. Although the "race" ended in a tie, by competing with Celera and providing publicly accessible data, the HGP prevented monetization of the human genome through Celera’s planned subscription service.
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