The completion of the human genome project and cost-cutting improvements to DNA scanning technology have lead to an unprecedented burst of activity in medical research, according to the Associated Press. An example of the magnitude of this boom, is the volume of data and new discoveries being reported on a daily basis. For example, on a single day in February, three different research groups reported finding genetic variants linked to the risk of prostate cancer.

While these discoveries don’t immediately translate into cures for currently incurable diseases, they create a whole lot of excitement among scientists in fields where progress has traditionally been measured on a much broader (years and years) scale. The ease with which we can now determine genetic differences between healthy individuals and those with certain diseases, has contributed to the huge leap in development of treatments and cures for cancer, diabetes, and other diseases.

_{Source: Medical Research Booming. The Hamilton Spectator, Monday March 31, 2008.}