Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
The other component of this development, the information technology, has resulted
in equally spectacular advances. The most important result is not so much the appearance of
fast computing devices, but rather the linking of computers and databases into one
interoperable network that enables researchers to access a wide range of data
simultaneously. In the background of this development was a slow paradigm change within
biology itself. In fact, molecular biology would never come to existence without laboratory
computers, since the complex macromolecular objects cannot be represented and analysed
with paper and pencil only. The next step, according to James Watson, happened in the
early 1990s when biology turned from data collection towards data processing. This was
the advent of sequencing projects, which produced a number of novel tools and services. It
became obvious that bioinformatics is an independent, new scientific approach that relies
on a number of conventional as well as unconventional elements. Theoretical recognitions,
such as the DNA structure, of the theory of molecular evolution were at the core of the new
approach. Databases, mostly biological sequence databases, played a highly visible role.
New algorithms and computer programs were designed for analysing the databases, and
finally a number of dedicated national and international research institutions were created
in order to promote the spread of bioinformatics. As a result, bioinformatics is a mature
science today, with several large conferences and a number of new textbooks published
each year. It is apparent that the new biology and dedicated informatics advance hand in
hand.
Therefore, the application of functional genomics can and will be found in three
main areas: human health, breeding agricultural plants and domestic animals, and breeding
industrial microorganisms. To illustrate them, two examples will be used: the example of
brewer's and baker's yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and the example of industrially
important species of Streptomyces genus and related genera that produce a large number of
pharmacologically important compounds.
1. Human Health
The first human gene was cloned in 1975. Fourteen years after the cloning of the first
human gene, the Human Genome Project with the acronym HUGO was established at NIH
headed by James Watson, later replaced by Francis Collins. British, French, German,
Japanese and Chinese scientists joined Americans, more than 1,100 scientists altogether. In
spite of that, researchers from Celera Genomics, American company lead by the scientist
and entrepreneur Craig Venter, was the first to complete the 'working draft' of human
genetic blueprint. Both groups published the first draft of the human genome sequence in
February 2001 [6, 7], covering about 95% of the 3 x 10 9 nucleotides. This work suggested
that there were only about 30,000 to 40,000 genes present rather than over 120,000 as had
been widely assumed previously. Soon after the completion of the human genome 'working
draft', the Human Proteome Organisation , with the acronym HUPO, headed by Sam
Hanash, was established with the aim to consolidate national and regional proteome
organisations into a worldwide organisation. Initial consensus for major objectives
included: ( i ) accurate annotation of the human genome sequence with respect to small open
reading frames (ORF) by the establishment of a complete list of all distinct proteins
(Human Protein Catalogue), ( ii ) production of recombinant proteins from each human
ORF, making cDNA clone sets available, ( iii ) production of reporter ligands on the output
of each and every ORF product, ( iv ) detailing protein/protein interactions, ( v ) detailing
protein/nucleic acid interactions, ( vi ) detailing relative levels of tissue specific protein
expression, ( vii ) detailing relative levels of intra-cellular protein expression, ( viii )
establishment of formal links with the structural genomics community, and ( ix ) the status of
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