With a synergistic relationship, the two organizations, along with connections to the private sector and the medical community, set out a plan for the first five years of the project. The Department of Energy (DOE), followed by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), was the first organization to head the endeavor of developing and preparing the Human Genome Project. At its formal inception in 1990, the goal was to sequence the genome by 2005 at an estimated cost of $3 billion. Congress complied with advocates' requests and funded the effort. In the mid-1980's, sufficient scientific breakthroughs had been made for scientists to begin considering mapping the genome. When their seminal paper, describing DNA as a double helix, was published in April, it would revolutionize biology. In February 1953, James Watson and Francis Crick made their breakthrough. The first half of the 20th century saw a race to determine the structure of DNA. Mid 1980s- Scientists begin to consider sequencing human genomeġ990- International, publicly funded Human Genome Project formally beginsġ997- Researchers, led by Ian Wilmut, at the Roslin Institute in Scotland clone a sheep, Dollyġ998- Craig Venter starts Celera GenomicsĢ000- The Human Genome Project and Celera jointly announce the completion of a rough draft of the genome Timeline | Watson and Crick | The Human Genome Project | Craig Venter and Celera | Year 2000ġ953- Watson and Crick determine the the structure of DNA to be double helixġ983- Kary Mullis invents the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique, which allows rapid reproduction of bits of DNA. Computers and the Human Genome Project: History