Called the whole-genome shotgun approach, it essentially skips the linkage mapping and physical mapping stages and starts directly with the sequencing of DNA fragments from randomly cut DNA. Powerful computer programs then assemble the resulting very large number of overlapping short sequences into a single continuous sequence (Figure 21.3). In 1998, despite the skepticism of many scientists, Venter set up a company (Celera Genomics) and declared his intention to sequence the entire human genome. Five years later, and 13 years after the Human Genome Project began, Celera Genomics and the public consortium jointly announced that sequencing of the human genome was largely complete.
