The yeast genome: on the road to the Golden Age

Having the complete genome sequence of Saccharomyces cerevisiae makes us aware of the ultimate goal of yeast molecular biology: the 'solution' of the cell, that is, an understanding of the function of all approximately 6000 proteins (and a few RNAs) and how they interact with each other and the environment. The recent development of 'genomic' approaches for studying gene function makes this goal seem reachable in the foreseeable future. When this is accomplished, we will have entered a Golden Age, when we will have the information necessary for designing truly incisive experiments to reveal biological function.