What lies beyond bioinformatics?

The relationship between genotype and the phenotype is complex and highly nonlinear and cannot be predicted from simply cataloging and assigning gene functions found in a genome. Genomics will give detailed and complete compositional information, but not the dynamic and systematic characteristics that determine the physiological functions of living systems. Phenomics is the study of the genotype-phenotype relationship. How this field is likely to evolve and the pivotal role that bio- and chemical engineering may play in its development are discussed. Definition of the E. coli metabolic genotype is illustrated. The use of metabolic genotype to analyze, interpret, and predict the metabolic genotype-phenotype relationship is demonstrated.