research : The number of genes in the human genetic code is far smaller than previously thought, totalling between 28,000 and 35,000 compared with earlier estimates that ranged up to 140,000, according to new research made public. A study by public-sector scientists at France's Genoscope and National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) puts the figure at 28,000 to 34,000 genes, while researchers from the University of Washington at Seattle said the tally was roughly 35,000.