A unique endeavour with a beginning and an end to be completed by one or more people within the constraints of time, budget and quality; a problem scheduled for solution.
a massive international research project to isolate all the genes in human DNA and determine the sequence of genes on human chromosomes. The project began in 1988 and the full draft sequence was published in 2001; the high-quality sequence was completed in 2003. The human genome comprises some 3 × 109 nucleotide base pairs (see DNA) forming 22,000–25,000 genes, distributed among 23 pairs of chromosomes. Knowledge of the entire human genome has already resulted in the identification of the genes associated with many hereditary disorders and revealed the existence of a genetic basis or component for many other diseases not previously known to have one. Theoretically, this would enable the development of targeted drugs and the large-scale genetic screening of populations. See pharmacogenomics; targeted agent.... human genome project
(in psychology) a way of measuring aspects of personality, in which the subject is asked to talk freely about ambiguous objects. His responses are then analysed. Examples are the *Rorschach test and the Thematic Apperception Test (in which the subject invents stories about a set of pictures).... projective test
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