Explain the concept of functional genomics in bioinformatics.

Explain the concept of functional genomics in bioinformatics.

Functional genomics in bioinformatics is the study of the functions and interactions of genes and their products within an organism. It involves the analysis of gene expression patterns, protein-protein interactions, and the identification of functional elements within the genome. This field aims to understand how genes work together to carry out biological processes and how variations in gene expression can lead to different phenotypes or diseases. Functional genomics utilizes various computational and experimental techniques, such as gene expression profiling, protein structure prediction, and functional annotation, to decipher the functions and regulatory mechanisms of genes at a genome-wide scale.