It's tough to find a larger collection of publicly available human genome sequences than Mountain View, CA-based Complete Genomics' Public Genomic Repository. The firm ($GNOM) says that it knows of no larger repository of its kind.

There are datasets from 69 fully sequenced genomes on the firm's website, where the company made the first 40 genomes available for free on Feb. 3. The repository features genomes from multiple generations and ethnicities. And academic researchers from prestigious institutions--including Stanford University and the University of Illinois--are among those who have downloaded more than 30 terabytes of data from the website.  

Those are impressive numbers, for sure. But what really makes the wide availability of this data exciting is its potential impact on human health. With data from sequenced genomes of multiple branches of a family tree, for example, researchers can do the types of analyses that can help identify potential disease genes, according to the company. And since the data are available to all for free, researchers anywhere can download it and make it their own. Still, the genomic data are just the starting point for many phases of experiments and investigations needed to lead to key discoveries about the genetic underpinnings of disease. 

- here's the Complete Genomics site