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Prick your finger with a pin, and you’re likely to have a reflexive response – possibly blood, a jerk of the hand, and an anguished cry. Penetrate the skin with a finer tool, however, such as an acupuncture needle or a mosquito’s proboscis, and the reaction – if there is one – might not be as immediate or severe; the piercing invader is simply too slight to notice.

A small percentage of genetic sequences couldn't be located within the human genome. Researchers got to the bottom of the mystery using math and some creative problem-solving.

Eric Lander, the Ó³»­´«Ã½â€™s president and founding director, is among 11 recipients of the first Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences, an award that recognizes excellence in research aimed at curing intractable diseases and extending human life. Founding sponsors of the Breakthrough Prize include Sergey Brin, Anne Wojcicki, Mark Zuckerberg, and Yuri Milner. Art Levinson will serve as the Chairman of the Board of the Foundation administering the prize.

According to today’s prize announcement, Lander was selected for the discovery of general principles for identifying human disease genes, and enabling their application to medicine through pioneering work to create and analyze genetic, physical and sequence maps of the human genome.