| Description |
The field of genetics continues to witness impressive advances in understanding the hereditary basis of the structure, function and evolution of living systems. The next International Congress of Genetics, to be held in Berlin, Germany, July 12-17, 2008, will address the latest developments in this exciting frontier of science.
Genomics, the study of complete genomes, has revolutionized genetic research. Complete and annotated genome sequences and comprehensive maps of polymorphism are available for many model organisms, including the genomes of man and our closest relative, the chimpanzee. Genome architectures and structure-function relationships of complex macromolecular assemblies are being elucidated in ever greater depth. Genome-wide transcriptome and proteome analyses are widely available. Powerful technologies are at hand to generate both inheritable and transient genetic perturbations. Importantly, comparative genomics provides deep insights into evolutionary mechanisms underlying genetic variation, adaptation and speciation. Genomics polymorphisms among humans reveal a rich picture of our recent evolutionary history as well as the genetic, epigenetic and environmental contributions to disease risk.
Impressive progress has already been made in the bioinformatic and mathematic integration of genomic data. Computational analyses of genomic data and the simulation of models of biological systems are yielding the new discipline of computational genetics as well as the first steps forward a synthetic biology.
|
|
