Editorial [Hot topic: Structural Genomics (Executive Editor: Yu Wai Chen)]

In the wake of the “post-genomic” era, a major shift in research strategies against infectious diseases is emerging— from the traditional approach that has based on “playing defensive” to one that is “taking offensive” against the pathogens. With modern high-throughput technology, complete genomic information contents of major pathogens are being deciphered one by one (refer to the Genomes OnLine Database v2.0 at http://www.genomesonline.org). Detailed description of pathogens is now possible to the fullest extent at both its gene and protein levels. Whole genome sequencing opens up a new horizon for the systematic investigation of the complete set of gene products (the proteome), and offers unprecedented opportunities in identifying drug targets. For pathogens with a small genome, research projects have been established to determine the threedimensional structure of ALL of its proteins. While sequencing of larger genomes can take considerable time to complete, bioinformatics strategies have been implemented to identify and prioritize targets for structural studies and drug development. Large-scale collaborative structural genomics projects are advancing rapidly and are being reviewed and updated regularly. Readers are referred to the following issues of journals that are dedicated to the theme of “structural genomics”: Journal of Structural and Functional Genomics, Volume 8, Numbers 2-3 (September, 2007); Current Opinion in Chemical Biology, Volume 12, Issue 1 (February, 2008); Methods In Molecular Biology: Structural Proteomics— High Throughput Methods, Volume 426, 2008.