Romanian scientist discovers that only a quarter of the human genome is functional

Romanian scientist Dan Graur has made an important discovery. He has found that the functional part of the human genome is only 10-15 %, and the maximum limit is 25 %.

The rest of the genome is called DNA junk which is a term that was invented by Susumu Ohno in 1979. The term refers to the noncoding sequences of the genome. These are not translated in proteins and they do not have an identified biological function.

The results of his research are in contradiction with the results of researchers who participated in the Encyclopedia of DNA Elements projects in 2012. The results have shown that 80% of the human genome has biochemical functions.

The objective of the DNA Elements projects is to create a list of the functional elements of the human genome that also includes the elements that act at the protein level and at ARN level but also in the regulatory elements that control the cells and the circumstances in which the genes become active.

Researcher Dan Graur was born in Piatra Neamt, Romania and then he studied biology and zoology at the Tel Aviv university and then he has undertaken a Ph.D. at the Texas university in Houston and postgraduate studies at Tubingen University in Germany. Dan Graur has also received the prestigious award Humboldt Prize and he is a member of the America Association for the Advancement of Science.

source: agerpres