The discovery of protein families of no known function is likely to be an important result of the structural genomics project. Several other concerns were discussed, in particular the effect of the development of this project on the culture of structural biology research, especially in academic settings. It was also pointed out that, in many cases, structural genomics research would not be appropriate for research training projects for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. Participants generally agreed on the importance of structural genomics research. The importance of international cooperation was discussed.
Major efforts are under way in the United Kingdom, Germany, and Japan.
Considerable attention was given to the optimum scale of organization appropriate for pilot projects in structural genomics, and numerous comparisons were made with the development of the Human Genome Project. In many ways, the development of these two applied projects is likely to be similar. The Human Genome Project has now evolved into large centers, with larger levels of organization and correspondingly lower costs. The scientific community has clearly benefited from the results that are emerging from this endeavor. Considerable discussion focused on the appropriate goals for these pilots, the costs per structure, and the best level of organization.