Parasite genome initiatives

During 1993-1994, scientists from developing and developed countries planne d and initiated a number of parasite genome projects and several consortium s for the mapping and sequencing of these medium-sized genomes were establi shed, often based on already ongoing scientific collaborations. Financial a nd other support came from WHO/TDR, Wellcome Trust and other funding agenci es. Thus, the genomes of Plasmodium falciparum, Schistosoma mansoni, Trypan osoma cruzi, Leishmania major, Trypanosoma brucei, Brugia malayi and other pathogenic nematodes are now under study. From an initial phase of network formation, mapping efforts and resource building (EST, GSS, phage, cosmid, BAC and YAC library constructions), sequencing was initiated in gene discov ery projects but soon also on a small chromosome, and now on a fully fledge d genome scale. Proteomics, functional analysis, genetic manipulation and m icroarray analysis are ongoing to different degrees in the respective genom e initiatives, and as the funding for the whole genome sequencing becomes s ecured, most of the participating laboratories, apart from larger sequencin g centres, become oriented to post-genomics. Bioinformatics networks are be ing expanded, including in developing countries, for data mining, annotatio n and in-depth analysis. (C) 2001 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. on beh alf of Australian Society for Parasitology Inc.