Iyini i - structural genomics?
I - Structural genomics ifuna ukuchaza ukwakheka kweprotheni ngayinye ehlelwe yi-genome ethile. Le ndlela esekelwe ku-genome ivumela indlela ephezulu yokunquma ukwakheka ngokuhlanganiswa kwezindlela zokuhlola nokumodela. Umehluko oyinhloko phakathi kwezakhi zofuzo ezihlelekile nokubikezela okuhlelekile kwendabuko ukuthi izakhi zofuzo ezihlelekile zizama ukunquma ukwakheka kwawo wonke amaprotheni abhalwe nge-genome, kunokugxila kuphrotheni elilodwa. Njengoba kunokulandelana kwe-genome ephelele, ukubikezela ukwakheka kungenziwa ngokushesha okukhulu ngokuhlanganiswa kwezindlela zokuhlola nokumodela, ikakhulukazi ngoba ukutholakala kwenani elikhulu lama-genome alandelanisiwe kanye nezakhiwo zamaprotheni ezixazululwe ngaphambilini kuvumela ososayensi ukuba balinganise ukwakheka kwamaprotheni ezakhiweni ze-homologs ezixazululwe ngaphambilini.  Ngenxa yokuthi ukwakheka kwamaprotheni kuhlobene eduze nokusebenza kwamaprotheni, i-genomics yokwakheka inamandla okunika ulwazi ngokusebenza kwamaprotheni. Ngaphezu kokucacisa imisebenzi yamaprotheni, i-genomics yokwakheka ingasetshenziselwa ukukhomba ama-protein folds amasha nemigomo engaba khona yokuthola izidakamizwa. I-Structural genomics ihilela ukuthatha izindlela eziningi zokunquma ukwakheka, kufaka phakathi izindlela zokuhlola ezisebenzisa ukulandelana kwe-genomic noma izindlela ezisekelwe ekumodeleni ezisekelwe ekulandelaneni noma ekwakhiweni kwe-homology kumaprotheni enesakhiwo esaziwayo noma esekelwe ezimisweni zamakhemikhali nezomzimba zamaprotheni angenayo i-homology kunoma yisiphi isakhiwo esaziwayo.  Ngokuphambene nesayensi yesakhiwo yendabuko, ukucacisa ukwakheka kwamaprotheni ngomzamo wokwakheka kwezakhi zofuzo kuvame (kodwa hhayi njalo) kuza ngaphambi kokuthi kwaziwe noma yini mayelana nomsebenzi wamaprotheni. Lokhu kuphakamisa izinselele ezintsha ekwakhiweni kwe-bioinformatics, okungukuthi ukunquma umsebenzi weprotheni kusuka esakhiweni sayo se-3D.  I-genomics yokwakheka igcizelela ukuzimisela okuphezulu kokukhiqizwa kwezakhiwo zamaprotheni. Lokhu kwenziwa ezikhungweni ezikhethekile zezakhiwo zezakhi zofuzo.  Nakuba izazi zezinto eziphilayo ezakha izakhiwo eziningi ziphishekela ukwakheka kwamaprotheni ngamanye noma amaqembu amaprotheni, ochwepheshe be-genomics yokwakha amaphrotheni baphishekela ukwakheka kwamaprotheni esikalini esikhulu se-genome. Lokhu kusho ukukhiqiza, ukuveza nokuhlanza ngezinga elikhulu. Enye yezinzuzo eziyinhloko zalendlela iwukonga ngesilinganiso. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, ngezinye izikhathi ukubaluleka okungokwesayensi kwezinye izakhiwo eziwumphumela kuyabuzwa. Isihloko seSayensi sikaJanuwari 2006 sihlaziya insimu yezakhi zofuzo.  Enye inzuzo yezakhi zofuzo, njengeProtein Structure Initiative, iwukuthi umphakathi wesayensi uthola ukufinyelela ngokushesha ezakhiweni ezintsha, kanye nasezintweni ezisetshenziswayo ezinjengama-clone namaprotheni. Okungathandeki ukuthi eziningi zalezi zakhiwo zingamaprotheni omsebenzi wawo ongaziwa futhi azikho izincwadi ezihambisanayo. Lokhu kudinga izindlela ezintsha zokuxhumana nalolu lwazi lwesakhiwo emphakathini obanzi wocwaningo. I-Bioinformatics core yesikhungo esihlangene se-structural genomics (i-JCSG) muva nje isungule indlela esuselwa ku-wiki okuyi-Open protein structure annotation network (i-TOPSAN) yokuchaza izakhiwo zamaprotheni ezivela ezikhungweni eziphezulu ze-structural genomics.