In Plant Functional Genomics, you'll find a cross-section of state-of-the-art research on the biological function of plant genes and how they work together in health and disease. World-leading scientists in the field present breakthrough techniques, discuss the results of projects aimed at dissecting particular plant functions, and provide an overview on the state of functional genomics for several plant and plant-related species. With figures, tables, and illustrations, this book will help scientists, researchers, and advanced students in botany find new ways of creating novel plant forms to better serve the needs of a rapidly expanding human population.

The last 15 years in development of biology were marked with accumulation of unprecedentedly huge arrays of experimental data. The information was amassed with exclusively high rates due to the advent of highly efficient experimental technologies that provided for high throughput genomic sequencing; of functional genomics technologies allowing investigation of expression dynamics of large groups of genes using expression DNA chips; of proteomics methods giving the possibility to analyze protein compositions of cells, tissues, and organs, assess the dynamics of the cell proteome, and reconstruct the networks of protein-protein interactions; and of metabolomics, in particular, high resolution mass spectrometry study of cell metabolites, and distribution of metabolic fluxes in the cells with a concurrent investigation of the dynamics of thousands metabolites in an individual cell. Analysis, comprehension, and use of the tremendous volumes of experimental data reflecting the intricate processes underlying the functioning of molecular genetic systems are unfeasible in principle without the systems approach and involvement of the state-of-the-art information and computer technologies and efficient mathematical methods for data analysis and simulation of biological systems and processes. The need in solving these problems initiated the birth of a new science— postgenomic bioinformatics or systems biology in silico.

- The data gathered can be used to solve a wide range of problems - for basic science and applied science