'Gotta pick a megabase or two': in silico routes to gene regulation

A number of vertebrate genome sequences are now available in draft or high-quality form. By comparing genomes from related species, conserved elements that are located outside the coding regions can be identified, many of which represent regulatory elements. The design of the sequence comparisons, taking into account the extent of the evolutionary divergence, is crucial to the outcome. Clearly, investigations of these conserved regulatory elements are important in understanding mechanisms underlying both vertebrate evolution and human disease.