From the Wall Street Journal: The $3.8 billion spent by the U.S. government to map the human genome spurred the creation of tens of thousands of jobs and gave rise to an industry that—while slow to deliver medical breakthroughs—now generates about $67 billion in annual economic activity, according to a new study.
The genome-sequencing project triggered many novel types of economic activity, the report said, from the manufacture of sequencing machines and other instruments to the devising of genetic test kits and diagnostic materials used for lab experiments.
The investment also produced significant economic returns in the form of tax revenues and personal income, according to the study.