The Y chromosome has finally been sequenced: here’s why it matters

24/08/2023 17 min
The Y chromosome has finally been sequenced: here’s why it matters

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Episode Synopsis

Twenty years after the first pass at sequencing the entire human genome, the Y chromosome has finally been fully decoded. Madeleine Finlay speaks to Mark Jobling, professor of genetics at the University of Leicester, about why it has proved so tricky, the role of the Y chromosome in our bodies, and the likelihood of it eventually dying out altogether. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod