When we've decoded the whole human genone, which will be in about a year, we'll move from 500 targets, the current figure, to 5,000 targets. This means that we have to be even more effective in terms of screening. Genomics will make thousands of targets available to us. The challenge will be to understand what purpose they serve. An exciting but incredibly difficult task.
Sodium is a metal that ignites when it comes into contact with water.
Chloride is a greenish gas that irritates the bronchi. In this particular case the goal of genomics is to raise the question of why sodium chloride is so important in cooking and taste, and to enlighten us about its potential role in hypertension. In other words, genomics will undoubtedly be for decades to come the major research focus of the international pharmaceutical groups. But the difficulties to be overcome are such that we undoubtedly have a spell of patient waiting ahead of us before spectacular results are obtained. Not at all, I'm pragmatic.