Functional genomics is a field of
molecular biology that attempts to make use of the vast wealth of data produced by genomic and transcriptomic projects (such as
genome sequencing projects and
RNA-seq) to describe
gene (and
protein) functions and interactions. Unlike
genomics, functional genomics focuses on the dynamic aspects such as gene
transcription,
translation,
regulation of gene expression and
protein–protein interactions, as opposed to the static aspects of the genomic information such as
DNA sequence or structures. Functional genomics attempts to answer questions about the function of DNA at the levels of genes, RNA transcripts, and protein products. A key characteristic of functional genomics studies is their genome-wide approach to these questions, generally involving high-throughput methods rather than a more traditional “gene-by-gene” approach.