Diseases have ravaged the human race throughout history. Although medical science has progressed rapidly over the past few decades and increased the average life span from 56 to 84, the quest for a disease-free life process has been elusive. But the history of human biology was altered forever nearly 40 years ago by a bold decision to launch a research program effort to characterize in ultimate detail the complete set of genetic instructions of the human being. In 1988, Congress appropriated funds to the Department of Energy and the National Institutes of Health to begin planning the Human Genome Project. Planners set a 15-year time frame, estimated that the price tag would be $3 billion, and laid formal goals to get the job done. On October 1, 1990, the Human Genome Project officially began. The Project aimed that by 2005, the "Holy Grail" of life would be deciphered. This revelation would provide a new understanding of the genetic contributions to human diseases and help in the development of rational strategies to minimize or prevent diseases in the future.