Genome Therapeutics Corporation, Waltham, MA 02154, USA. smith@cric.com
Advances in high-throughput DNA-sequencing techniques have given us the unprecedented ability to rapidly determine the nucleotide sequences of entire bacterial genomes. The application of these methods to the genomes of microbial pathogens, combined with efficient analytical tools and genome-scale approaches for studying gene expression, is revolutionizing our approach to the selection of targets for drug screening and vaccine development. This is bringing new life to this important, but long-neglected, field of research.