Measurement of human DNA variation is an essential prerequisite for carrying out human genetics research. The 1000 Genomes Project represents a step towards a complete description of polymorphic human DNA sequence variation. The larger dataset provided by the full 1000 Genomes Project will allow more accurate imputation of variants in GWAS and thus better localization of disease associated variants. The project will provide a template for studies using genome wide sequence data. Applications of these data, and the methods developed to generate them, will contribute to a much more comprehensive understanding of the role of inherited DNA variation in human history, evolution and disease.
