But what sets you apart from the mouse is not the number of genes, but the number and complexity of proteins that these genes produce. You will hear heck of a lot about the study of these proteins in the coming years. This spin-off from genomics encompasses an even more fundamental and complicated field of study called Proteomics. The gargantuan task of deciphering proteins is not only essential to taking genomics further, but offers huge commercial potential in terms of new wonder drugs, therapies, even improved food crops. If the genome is the recipe of life, think of proteins as the ingredients.
Diseases are like spelling mistakes in a normal gene.
The Human Genome Project today provides scientists with an instant spell-check and also equips them with tools to correct the defect. But it took seven years to detect the cystic fibrosis gene-the first 'disease gene'. Today, it would take seconds-on a computer database. Already, aided often by the power of information technology, information from the genome has helped detect more than 30 disease genes, including some for common diseases like breast cancer, colour blindness, and epilepsy. There is urgent need for much more computing power.