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Functional genomics: going forwards from the databases
1SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals, Harlow, Essex, UK. sohaila_rastan-1@sbphrd.com
Current Opinion in Genetics & Development
|February 20, 1998
Summary
Predicting gene function from DNA sequences is a major scientific challenge. Current methods struggle to keep pace with rapid DNA sequencing, hindering biological discovery.
Area of Science:
- Genomics
- Bioinformatics
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Determining gene function from sequence data is a critical bottleneck in biological research.
- The rapid acceleration of DNA sequencing outpaces the development of functional prediction methods.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the significant challenge of inferring gene function from sequence information.
- To emphasize the need for advanced computational and experimental approaches.
Main Methods:
- Review of current electronic (computational) and laboratory-based strategies for gene function prediction.
- Analysis of the rate-limiting factors in the sequence-to-function extrapolation process.
Main Results:
- Existing methods, both computational and experimental, are insufficient to meet the demand posed by high-throughput sequencing.
- A significant gap exists between the rate of sequence generation and the rate of functional annotation.
Conclusions:
- The primary challenge in modern biology is bridging the sequence-to-function gap.
- Urgent development of novel, high-throughput methods is required to accelerate functional genomics and biological understanding.