The century beyond the gene.

ABSTRACT

In an increasing number of biological laboratories, the focus of research is shifting from sequence data to the functional meaning of that data. No longer content with structural mappings, there is a renewed interest abroad in what the United States Department of Energy calls, 'Bringing Genomes to Life'. For many, this means a movement beyond 'reductionism' to a 'systems biology'. The question is, what does this mean?