es ▁can ▁be ▁accessed ▁online ▁at ▁several ▁locations , ▁using ▁dedicated ▁browsers ▁such ▁as ▁Ens embl ▁or ▁U C SC ▁Gen ome ▁Browser . ▁ ▁Properties ▁of ▁reference ▁genom es ▁ ▁Me asures ▁of ▁length ▁ ▁The ▁length ▁of ▁a ▁gen ome ▁can ▁be ▁measured ▁in ▁multiple ▁different ▁ways . ▁ ▁A ▁simple ▁way ▁to ▁measure ▁gen ome ▁length ▁is ▁to ▁count ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁base ▁pairs ▁in ▁the ▁assembly . ▁ ▁The ▁golden ▁path ▁is ▁an ▁alternative ▁measure ▁of ▁length ▁that ▁om its ▁redundant ▁regions ▁such ▁as ▁ha plot ypes ▁and ▁pseudo aut os om al ▁regions . ▁It ▁is ▁usually ▁constructed ▁by ▁layer ing ▁sequ encing ▁information ▁over ▁a ▁physical ▁map ▁to ▁combine ▁sc aff old ▁information . ▁It ▁is ▁a ▁' best ▁estimate ' ▁of ▁what ▁the ▁gen ome ▁will ▁look ▁like ▁and ▁typically ▁includes ▁g aps , ▁making ▁it ▁longer ▁than ▁the ▁typical ▁base ▁pair ▁assembly . ▁ ▁M amm al ian ▁genom es ▁ ▁The ▁human ▁and ▁mouse ▁reference ▁genom es ▁are ▁maintained ▁and ▁improved ▁by ▁the ▁Gen ome ▁Reference ▁Cons ort ium ▁( G RC ), ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁fewer ▁than ▁ 2 0 ▁scient ists ▁from ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁gen ome ▁research ▁instit utes , ▁including ▁the ▁European ▁Bio in format ics ▁Institute , ▁the ▁National ▁Center ▁for ▁Bi ote chn ology ▁Information , ▁the ▁S anger ▁Institute ▁and ▁Mc D onn ell ▁Gen ome ▁Institute ▁at ▁Washington ▁University ▁in ▁St . ▁Louis . ▁ ▁G RC ▁continues ▁to ▁improve ▁reference ▁genom es ▁by ▁building ▁new