What is fundamental genomics?
Introduction
The sequencing of the human genome, and many other genomes, heralds a new age in human biology, offering unprecedented opportunities to improve human health and to stimulate industrial and economic activity.
Fundamental genomics research aims to foster the basic understanding of genomic information by developing the knowledge base, tools and resources needed to decipher the function of genes and gene products relevant to human health, and to explore their interactions with each other and with their environment.
To achieve this, a number of interrelated multidisciplinary research approaches are being developed to enable the strong interaction between technology and biology which will be vital for translating genome data into practical applications.
These research approaches have been targeted for funding in the European Commission’s Sixth Framework Programme. The key features of these approaches and their likely future developments are described below.
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