As. Pac. J. Mol. Biol. & Biotech., Dec 2001 Vol. 9(1) : 1-6

The versatility of comparative genomics in the post genomic era

Philippa Melamed and Boon Chuan Low*

Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Blk S2, 14 Science Drive 4,
Singapore 117543

(Received 22 January 2001 / Accepted 30 March 2001)

Abstract.

The biggest challenge scientists are facing in this post genomic era is to define the hidden messages in the strings of genetic codes. The best and easiest route to achieve this is to compare the genomic contents of various species and methodically sieve through the information to correlate what is "common" and what is "unique". The tool of comparative genomics has allowed us to explore various disciplines in life sciences, ranging from the basic understanding of evolution and systematics, developmental and cell biology, protein function, to the applications of development in drug discovery and pharmacogenomics as well as environmental protection. This review will highlight a few key areas where such applications are now being pursued with good promises and reinforces the need to develop comparative genomics as a multi disciplinary tool.

Key words: biotechnology, comparative genomics, evolution, pharmacogenomics, proteins