What lies beyond bioinformatics?

Summary form only received as follows. Biology is going through a period of fundamental change. The full genome sequence for an increasing number of organisms is becoming available. Currently, the complete DNA sequences for numerous unicellular organisms are available and full sequences are becoming available for well-known multiorganisms. The identification of open reading frames (ORFs) and their assignments are proceeding at a rapid pace, and 50-80% the ORFs have been assigned in the fully sequenced microbial genomes. Once complete, these efforts will result in a complete 'parts catalogue' of the components found in a multitude of living cells. With the complete genetic makeup of a growing number of organisms becoming available, the pressing questions of how the phenotype can be predicted from the genotype arises. The experience with an increasing number of knockout organisms shows that the removal of, what were a priori thought to be essential, gene leads to a null phenotype and the knock-organism develops 'normally' with out the gene product of the deleted gene present. Thus, the relationship between genotype and the phenotype is complex and highly non-linear, and cannot be predicted from simply cataloging and assigning gene functions found in a genome. Genomics will give us detailed and complete compositional information, but not the dynamic and systemic characteristics that determine the physiological functions of living systems. The study of the genotype-phenotype relationship will lead to an entirely new branch of study, one that might be called Phenomics (in analogy to genomics). This talk puts forth a view of how this field is likely to evolve and the pivotal role that bio and chemical engineering may play in its development. Definition of the E. coli metabolic genotype is illustrated. The use of metabolic genotype to analyze, interpret, and predict the metabolic genotype-phenotype relationship is demonstrated.