Development of the Field
We are witnessing the birth of a new era in biology. The ability to decipher the genetic code of living organisms is dramatically changing our understanding of the natural world and promises to improve substantially the quality of human life. Recent advances in technology have led to the creation of a new interdisciplinary science - Genomics. In simple terms, genomics is the reading and understanding of the blueprints for life. Understanding how genomes work requires sophisticated computer-based information handling tools (Bioinformatics), and new high throughput technologies for understanding the function of genes on a genome-wide scale (functional genomics).

Bioinformatics characterizes the flow of information in living systems and can be schematically represented by the following.

The most pressing problem in the post-genome sequencing era will be to understand the integrated functions of thousands of genes. Dealing with this problem will require an interdisciplinary research structure dedicated to developing intellectual and human capital in bioinformatics and genome science. Due to the complexity of this new paradigm in biology, i.e., understanding the organization, evolution and function of whole genomes rather than single genes, entirely new sets of tools and human resources will be necessary. Thus, future developments in genomics, and the applications that derive from genomics, will be dependent upon the scientific progress at the interface of three major disciplines; biology, engineering, and computer science. In addition to the scientific advances required to understand the functions of genomes, the accelerated growth of modern biology warrants revolutionary changes in academic curricula.

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