The annual ORFeome meeting provides an intimate venue to foster open scientific exchange between researchers whose mutual interests focus on global approaches to the study of molecular processes in biological systems. Bringing together leading innovators in functional genomic technologies, experimental applications, bioinformatics, and network theory to discuss challenges and share cutting-edge developments in these areas, the meeting serves as a nexus for cross-fertilization of ideas and stimulation of new collaborative efforts between individuals and groups with complementary realms of expertise. The ORFeome meeting, which originated as an informal gathering to bring together collaborators involved in developing ORFeome and yeast two-hybrid projects for C. elegans biology, has evolved substantially alongside the scientific maturation of the field. While maintaining both the relaxed, easy-going atmosphere intrinsic to the success of the first few gatherings, as well as its original focus on technology and resource development, the ORFeome meeting has now evolved into an exciting and dynamic forum to exchange ideas and progress on the most current experimental and theoretical approaches, and the results obtained to gain insight into biological processes as interconnected functional modules, integrated networks, and global systems. Through the development of improved methods to model the organization and dynamics of molecular systems, and to translate knowledge about model organisms to human biology, these collective efforts are transforming how we think about biological processes and are leading the way toward a new integrative approach to biological research and medicine. ? ? ? ?
