Environmental health research in the post-genome era: New fields, new challenges, and new opportunities

Jacquelyn J. Bower, Xianglin Shi

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

The human genome sequence provides researchers with a genetic framework to eventually understand the relationships of gene-environment interactions. This wealth of information has led to the birth of several related areas of research, including proteomics, functional genomics, pharmacogenomics, and toxicogenomics. Developing techniques such as DNA/protein microarrays, small-interfering RNA (siRNA) applications, two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, and mass spectrometry in conjunction with advanced analysis software and the availability of Internet databases offers a powerful set of tools to investigate an individual's response to specific stimuli. This review summarizes these emerging scientific fields and techniques focusing specifically on their applications to the complexities of gene-environment interactions and their potential role in environmental biosecurity.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)71-94
Number of pages24
JournalJournal of Toxicology and Environmental Health - Part B: Critical Reviews
Volume8
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 2005

Funding

With the increasing amount of genomic and proteomic data available, structural genomics has found its own niche. The aim of structural genomics is to characterize the structures of representative proteins for each protein family. Several methods, particularly x-ray crystallography and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), are used to provide a set of reference structures that will serve to help determine the structures of similar families of proteins. The Protein Structure Initiative (PSI) sponsored by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences has attempted to create a database of the structures of all proteins determined to date (see Fig. 1, PSI web site). Structural genomics scientists can then use the information gained through DNA coding sequences to predict primary protein sequence, which can be further analyzed and compared to known three-dimensional structures by computer homology modeling techniques (Yao, 2002).

FundersFunder number
National Institute of General Medical Sciences

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Toxicology
    • Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis

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