By analyzing five human embryonic stem (hES) cell lines over long-term culture, we identified a recurrent genomic instability in the human genome. An amplification of 2.5-4.6 Mb at 20q11.21, encompassing approximately 23 genes in common, was detected in four cell lines of different origins. This amplification, which has been associated with oncogenic transformation, may provide a selective advantage to hES cells in culture.