In a major step toward a new era of gene-based medicine and disease treatment, two research centers are expected to announce on Monday that they separately have sketched a map detailing the secrets of human genetic structure.

In a major step toward a new era of gene-based medicine and disease treatment, two research centers are expected to announce on Monday that they separately have sketched a map detailing the secrets of human genetic structure. Scientists say their project -- called sequencing the human genome -- eventually will enable them to determine what each gene does. The Human Genome Project and Celera Genomics Inc. will hold news conferences in Washington. Announcements are also expected in London at the Sanger Center, where some of the sequencing work is being conducted. Some scientists have said this breakthrough -- which comes 10 years after the project was started -- is as significant as man walking on the moon. Experts believe the information provided by the genome projects will forever change the practice of medicine and the health care of human beings, by paving the way for new drugs and medical therapies. The Human Genome Project is an international consortium supported mostly by the U.S. National Institutes of Health and the Wellcome Trust, a philanthropic organization based in London. Celera Genomics is a private company based in Rockville, Maryland. Those looking 10 and 20 years into the future see more individualized drugs, fewer adverse drug reactions, the ability to regenerate and grow human body parts, and the technology to prevent disease and birth defects in babies even before they are born.