Commentary in 2010

The low cost of short-read sequencing has motivated the development of de novo assemblies from only short-read data; impressively, assemblies for large mammalian genomes are now available. However, this is still a developing field, and these de novo assemblies have many artifacts, as do all de novo assemblies.

Optogenetics is routinely used to activate and inactivate genetically defined neuronal populations in vivo. A second optogenetic revolution will occur when spatially distributed and sparse neural assemblies can be precisely manipulated in behaving animals.

Rhodopsins from microalgae and eubacteria are powerful tools for manipulating the function of neurons and other cells, but these tools still have limitations. We discuss engineering approaches that can help advance optogenetics.

Optogenetics is a technology that allows targeted, fast control of precisely defined events in biological systems as complex as freely moving mammals. By delivering optical control at the speed (millisecond-scale) and with the precision (cell type–specific) required for biological processing, optogenetic approaches have opened new landscapes for the study of biology, both in health and disease.

Optogenetic modules offer cell biologists unprecedented new ways to poke and prod cells. The combination of these precision perturbative tools with observational tools, such as fluorescent proteins, may dramatically accelerate our ability to understand the inner workings of the cell.

Mass spectrometry has evolved and matured to a level where it is able to assess the complexity of the human proteome. We discuss some of the expected challenges ahead and promising strategies for success.

Methods and tools for visualizing biological data have improved considerably over the last decades, but they are still inadequate for some high-throughput data sets. For most users, a key challenge is to benefit from the deluge of data without being overwhelmed by it. This challenge is still largely unfulfilled and will require the development of truly integrated and highly useable tools.