The recent determination of the genomic sequences of yeast, nematodes, fruit flies, mice, and humans is a watershed in biology.

The Genome Biology Department is focused to take advantage of this wealth of new information. It is well known that DNA encodes the basic blue print of life, but it is not known how to interpret most of this information, particularly that from animals with large genomes. To address this issue, laboratories within the department are developing computational, biochemical, and genetic methods to decipher the complex sequence motifs that control RNA transcription, DNA replication, and chromosome structure. In addition, complete genomic sequences open up entirely new ways to study human disease, the control of animal development, and complex macromolecular process such as meiosis. New techniques allow changes in the activity of all genes to be monitored simultaneously. Many groups within the department are using these methods to address a range of questions. We believe that the data from such system-wide analyses will fundamentally alter the way we think about most problems in biology.

Members of the Genome Biology Department also participate in: NHLBI's Programs for Genomic Applications project (PGA), DOE's Joint Genome Institute (JGI), the Berkeley Drosophila Genome Project (BDGP), and the Berkeley Program in Genomics, a program in which over 30 groups from LBNL and the University of California at Berkeley collaborate in a joint graduate program, seminar series, and annual retreat. We also make use of the outstanding engineering and computational resources at LBNL, such as the Bioinstrumentation Group and National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC).