On 15th February 2001, two groups of scientists published a draft that described the complete chemical makeup of human genes - the human genome as it is often called. The discovery of the sequence of the human genome has been hailed as one of the most important scientific advances ever, and it would not have been possible without the work of chemists and chemical scientists. This resource aims to show students and teachers the chemical science behind the discovery at a level suitable for post-16 students of chemistry and biology, and places it in the context of science in the 21st century.