Accelerated goals are challenging the major Human Genome Project sequencing centers to restructure and streamline their processes. The Joint Genome Institute (JGI) Production Sequencing Facility is using 84 new high-throughput MegaBACE DNA sequencing machines acquired from Amersham Pharmacia Biotech. These machines use multiple thin "capillary" tubes instead of large flat gels to separate and "read" the DNA sequence. The technology was developed largely with funding from the DOE Human Genome Program and licensed to AP Biotech.

JGI's current sequencing targets are human chromosomes 5, 16, and 19, which together contain about 300 Mb of DNA or about 10% of the entire human genome. Sequencing director Trevor Hawkins reports that as of September20, JGI had produced 31.2 Mb of finished sequence and about 41Mb of draft sequence (see "HGP Sequencing Progress"). The Genome Annotation Consortium is joining with JGI for sequence analysis (see "Informatics" for details), and Stanford University will be part of the finishing effort.