What is functional genomics? How does it differ from comparative genomics?

Define functional genomics and explain how it is different from comparative genomics. Functional genomics is the study of the function, interactions, and regulation of genes and their products on a genome-wide scale. It involves characterizing all the genes within a genome and understanding their role in biological processes using various methods, including gene expression analysis, proteomics, and epigenomics. Comparative genomics, on the other hand, is the study of the similarities and differences between genomes of different species or strains. This field focuses on comparing genome sequences to identify conserved elements, gene functions, and unique or divergent aspects of genomes that may be specific to certain organisms or lineages. The primary differences between functional and comparative genomics are their goals, methods, and applications. Functional genomics aims to understand the functions and interactions of all genes within a genome, while comparative genomics aims to identify similarities and differences in genome sequences and gene functions across different organisms. Functional genomics uses various methods, such as gene expression analysis, proteomics, and epigenomics, while comparative genomics primarily relies on sequence alignment and comparison. In terms of applications, functional genomics contributes to understanding diseases, identifying drug targets, and engineering organisms, whereas comparative genomics helps trace evolutionary history and inform conservation efforts.