Will genomics revolutionize antimicrobial drug discovery?

Utilizing genome sequence data from bacterial and fungal pathogens for the discovery of new antimicrobial agents has received considerable attention, both practical and critical, from the pharmaceutical and biotechnological communities. Although no new drugs derived from genomics-based discovery have been reported to be in a development pipeline, the utilization of genomics has revolutionized many aspects of drug discovery. The application, utility, opportunity, and challenges afforded by many of these new approaches are discussed.