A collection of reviews from Nature Reviews Genetics, continually updated. Select the links below for full-text access.

In this age of genomics, one could be forgiven for thinking that classical genetic screens are a thing of the past. But whereas genome projects provide us with an inventory of genes, genetic screens can provide important clues about what those genes do. When genetic screens are reported, the details of the screen itself are often overshadowed by the excitement surrounding the genes that are identified. But the way a screen is designed can profoundly influence which genes are uncovered, and the exquisite design of some genetic screens can inspire related experiments in other systems.

This Web Focus contains a series of articles that celebrates the art and design of genetic screens, which we will update with new articles over the next few months. These reviews are intended to provide an up-to-date account of genetic screening in the main genetic experimental systems. By highlighting recent genetic screens, these articles will illustrate the elegance and power of genetic screens, and the thinking that underlies them.

Genetic screens can provide the first hint about the molecular events that underpin a particular biological process. The results are sometimes exhilarating and sometimes mundane - but if the screen is any good, they are usually biologically meaningful. Either way, genetic screens have a certain mystique, and for the foreseeable future, they are here to stay.

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