Phase 1 of the International HapMap Project (http://www.hapmap.org), published in November 2005, was hailed by the mainstream press as a revolutionary tool for gene-association studies. Researchers using the data have been similarly enthusiastic. Says Jeanette McCarthy of the Graduate School of Public Health, San Diego State University, "It's an unprecedented resource. ... It provides a lot more information not just for people doing whole genome association studies, but [also] for those focused on specific regions of the genome or even candidate genes. It can add a lot of information and help us pinpoint the genes a lot easier."
Left out of the discussion, however, are more practical issues. Like any map, the HapMap requires some training to use properly. How, for instance, do you use the data? Are there things to look out for when choosing SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms) and determining haplotype block boundaries? The Scientist spoke with geneticists ...
