Protein evolution and structural genomics

The genomic data available to computational biologists represents the product of the complex processes of evolution. In particular, the forces of mutation, duplication, and selection have acted to sculpt modern protein sequence and structure in the context of changing functional requirements. Just as crystallographers are able to determine protein structures through an analysis of X-ray diffraction patterns, scientists are learning to read the evolutionary history of proteins in order to infer and explain both structures and functions. This pursuit depends on the development of new computational approaches in order to make optimal use of genomic data, and requires interaction with experiment for comparison and verification of computational results.