Our understanding of biomolecular structure is increasing at a phenomenal rate, largely as a result of integrating advances in diverse scientific disciplines. Genome projects are providing detailed genomic maps and sequence data for various organisms,and analysis of these data is providing insight into the role of specific genetic elements and mutations that lead to aberrant function in disease states. Genome initiatives have, in turn, promoted advances in recombinant DNA (rDNA) technology that permit the identification, characterization and production of large quantities of essentially any protein. This provides material in sufficient quantities for both biochemical functional analysis, and structural analysis of the molecule by X-ray crystallography or high-field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The improvements in these techniques have led to the accumulation of structural information on the molecular basis of protein function and specificity. The availability of protein structures allows the rational design of mutant proteins or ligands to alter characteristics such as affinity and specificity, providing an important step in the drug-discovery process.
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