Perhaps the best-known example of computational biology, the Human Genome Project, officially began in 199.] By 2003, the project had mapped around 85% of the human genome, satisfying its initial goals. Work continued, however, and by 2021 level " a complete genome" was reached with only 0.3% remaining bases covered by potential issues. The missing Y chromosome was added in January 2022.

Since the late 1990s, computational biology has become an important part of biology, leading to numerous subfields. Today, the International Society for Computational Biology recognizes 21 different 'Communities of Special Interest', each representing a slice of the larger field. In addition to helping sequence the human genome, computational biology has helped create accurate models of the human brain, map the 3D structure of genomes, and model biological systems