Of fish, fly, worm and man

The complete genome sequence of the multicellular organism Caenorhabditis elegans has recently been determined, paving the way for upcoming sequences of Drosophila melanogaster and humans. This marks a significant phase in "large-scale" biology, focusing on gene functions and protein interactions. The Ernst Schering Research Foundation Workshop 29 aimed to discuss the role of model organisms in genetic and biological research, enhancing our understanding of fundamental biological principles and the foundations of human diseases. Research in this field has revealed essential molecular mechanisms underlying the development of higher organisms and has significantly advanced our knowledge of complex signal transduction pathways critical for both ontogeny and human diseases. While establishing the complete molecular anatomy of an organism is a defined task, the challenges of large-scale sequencing and bioinformatics analysis make assigning functions to genes in multicellular organisms appear more uncertain. One promising approach involves large-scale technologies, such as microarrays for analyzing multiple gene expressions, which provide vital insights into the cell- or tissue-specific activation of genes over time.