Phenomics: fiction or the future?

Abstract

The ease with which genetic mutations can be induced in or introduced into mammalian organisms, such as the mouse, has created a significant need for phenotypic analysis. Developments in computer technology, instrumentation and bioinformatics, as well as in numerous neuroscience disciplines, will help to meet the demands set by the molecular revolution. As a result, the field of 'phenomics' is being born. This will integrate multidisciplinary research, with the goal of understanding the complex phenotypic consequences of genetic mutations at the level of the organism. This paper focuses on one of the disciplines that show promising developments, behavioral science.