Human Genome Organisation (HUGO)

Date:
1989-2007
Reference:
UGC 188/6/3
Part of:
Papers of Malcolm Andrew Ferguson-Smith, geneticist, Professor of Medical Genetics, University of Glasgow, Scotland
  • Archives and manuscripts

About this work

Publication/Creation

1989-2007

Physical description

52 folders

Biographical note

The idea of an international organisation of human geneticists to encourage international collaboration in human genetics was mooted in April 1988 during the first meeting on genome mapping and sequencing at Cold Spring Harbor, USA, attended by a number of the world's leading human geneticists. HUGO was formally established in Geneva, Switzerland in September 1988 with Dr Victor Almon McKusick as first President. Ferguson-Smith was an Executive Council member. HUGO became the central body coordinating worldwide genome efforts, its activities including support of data collation for constructing genome maps, organizing workshops - Human Gene Mapping Workshops (HGMs), Chromosome Coordinating Meetings (CCMs) and Single Chromosome Workshops (SCWs), fostering exchange of data and biomaterials and technology-sharing. It also served as the coordinating agency between international and government funding agencies and the genome researchers.

Most of the material here relates to the European Commission (EC) support for SCWs. In 1990 the EC had begun to sponsor individual workshops. In 1991 a Working Group (membership including Ferguson-Smith) of the Advisory Committee for Human Genome Analysis programme recommended that the EC should join with US and UK bodies to fund SCWs and that HUGO should draw up the guidelines for the workshops (see UGC 188/6/3/2/1). The EC agreed and made funds available to support SCWs through a series of contracts. The first contract (GENO-91-0048) ran March 1992-June 1993 and supported 17 SCWs. This contract was followed by another (GENE-CT930002) July 1993-April 1997 with a supplementary grant (ERBCIPD-CT94-0406 or PECO), June 1995-August 1996, to support Russian participation in SCWs. The third contract (BMH4-CT-97-2031) ran September 1997-October 1999. There is also some material relating generally to HUGO and to the European office of HUGO, HUGO (London).

Copyright note

Applications for permission to quote should be sent to: Duty Archivist, Archive Services, University of Glasgow, 13 Thurso Street, Glasgow, G11 6PE or email enquiries@archives.gla.ac.uk.

Terms of use

Open and available at Glasgow University Archive Services.

Location of duplicates

A digitised copy is held by the Wellcome Library as part of Codebreakers: Makers of Modern Genetics.

Where to find it

Location of original

The original material is held at Glasgow University Archive Services. This catalogue is held by the Wellcome Library as part of Codebreakers: Makers of Modern Genetics.

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