Post-Genome Research

Francis Collins, MD Director, NHGRI

Using the sequence gene mapping information from the genome program, molecular geneticists will be able to begin tackling problems in biological research that were previously impossible to define or solve. For the first time in human history, scientists will have the tools that will help them begin to understand, at the molecular level, how complex networks of genes are involved in human disorders, ranging from birth defects to physical and mental illnesses in the adult.

An important focus of research in the post-genome era will be a study of how genes function within the body. Biologists have been studying gene function for many years, but most of their research has been slow, very costly, and directed at single genes. Access to the powerful reagents from the genome program will change all of this. In the post-genome era, among other things, it will be possible to (1) perform gene function experiments on a genome-wide scale, hence the name functional genomics; (2) study large numbers of genes, perhaps all of them, at the same time; and (3) begin to study the large numbers of functional partnerships that genes establish with other genes. The understanding of these genetic relationships will provide an enormous insight into how genes participate in human health and well-being.

The genome projects have transformed biology in many ways, but the most impressive outcome is the emergence of computational biology, also known as bioinformatics. It is no longer possible to make advances in biology without integration of informatics technologies and experimental technologies. Here we like to distinguish between genome informatics and post-genome informatics. Genome informatics was born in order to cope with the vast amount of data generated by the genome projects. Its primary role is therefore to support experimental projects. In contrast, post-genome informatics, as we define here, represents a synthesis of biological knowledge from genomic information toward understanding basic principles of life, as well as for practical purposes in biomedical applications. Post-genome informatics has to be coupled with systematic experiments in functional genomics using DNA chip and other technologies. However, the coupling is the other way around- informatics plays more dominant roles of making predictions and designing experiments.

Since the concept is in the development , there are many interesting items such as Proteomics, Transcriptomics, Post-genome Informatics. For more about them you may go to the Nature Genome Gateway: post-genomics, a newly established column including following reviews:

Other Related Web Resource

Proteome & Proteomics in CMBI  (Recommended ! )

Post-Genome Informatics  a book published by Oxford University Press, 2000

Post-Genomics Biology Research Programme