Preface
The first complete genome sequence of a multicellular organism,
Caenorhabditis elegans, has been determined recently. Several more
will follow soon, among them the genome sequences of Drosophila
melanogaster and the human. With these achievements, the stage is set
for the next phase of "large-scale" biology, the study of the function of
genes and the interactions between their protein products. The aim of
the Ernst Schering Research Foundation Workshop 29 was to discuss
the contribution of research on model organisms which are particularly
suited for genetic and biological research, to the understanding of general principles of biology as well as the basis for human diseases. This
area of research has not only unveiled the basic molecular mechanisms
of development of higher organisms, but has also made major contributions to the elucidation of complex signal transduction pathways that
play crucial roles both in ontogeny and human diseases.
Establishing the complete molecular anatomy of an organism is a
demanding but rather well-defined task. However, compared to the
technical and scientific challenges of large-scale sequencing and the
bioinformatics analysis of complete genome data, the assignment of
function to the genes of multicellular organisms may still seem like a
fishing expedition, with no universal road to success.
One approach is based on large-scale technologies. The use of microarrays for multiple gene expression analysis is one element in this
effort, providing important information on the cell- or tissue-specific
activation of genes over time. Mass spectrometry combined with highresolution two-dimensional electrophoresis has enabled the systematic
study of the protein inventories of cells and tissues, complementing
The first complete genome sequence of a multicellular organism,
Caenorhabditis elegans, has been determined recently. Several more
will follow soon, among them the genome sequences of Drosophila
melanogaster and the human. With these achievements, the stage is set
for the next phase of "large-scale" biology, the study of the function of
genes and the interactions between their protein products. The aim of
the Ernst Schering Research Foundation Workshop 29 was to discuss
the contribution of research on model organisms which are particularly
suited for genetic and biological research, to the understanding of general principles of biology as well as the basis for human diseases. This
area of research has not only unveiled the basic molecular mechanisms
of development of higher organisms, but has also made major contributions to the elucidation of complex signal transduction pathways that
play crucial roles both in ontogeny and human diseases.
Establishing the complete molecular anatomy of an organism is a
demanding but rather well-defined task. However, compared to the
technical and scientific challenges of large-scale sequencing and the
bioinformatics analysis of complete genome data, the assignment of
function to the genes of multicellular organisms may still seem like a
fishing expedition, with no universal road to success.
One approach is based on large-scale technologies. The use of microarrays for multiple gene expression analysis is one element in this
effort, providing important information on the cell- or tissue-specific
activation of genes over time. Mass spectrometry combined with highresolution two-dimensional electrophoresis has enabled the systematic
study of the protein inventories of cells and tissues, complementing