Image: NMNH's new genome exhibit opens next year

A new exhibit celebrating the first complete human genome sequence is to open next year at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) in Washington DC, US.

The attraction has partnered with the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) of the National Institutes of Health to create the new high-intensity experience.

It will celebrate the 10th anniversary of the project's completion, which marked a "landmark scientific milestone" and provided an understanding of genetics' role in health and disease.

The 2,500sq ft (232sq m) exhibit will be organised around themes such as the Genome and You. After "at least a year" at NMNH, the exhibit will emabark on a national and international tour.

Life Technologies Foundation - the philanthropic arm of the Life Technologies Corporation - has pledged US$3m (EUR2.4m, £1.9m) towards the exhibit in its role as lead sponsor.

A further US$500,000 (EUR402,500, £322,200) has been raised through the Foundation for The National Institutes of Health from a number of sources.

NHGRI director Eric D Green said: "We want to help the public see how the Human Genome Project has given birth to a modern era of genomics.

"What better place to explore genomics than the National Museum of Natural History, where a personal introduction to the human genome will illustrate the likely impact of genomics on our future?"

Details: www.nih.gov.uk (NHGRI)

Details: www.lifetechnologies.com (Life Technologies Foundation)

Image: 2265524729/shutterstock.com