Signal processing challenges in the post-genomic era

Molecular biology has been undergoing a revolution whose most visible milestone is the complete sequencing of the human genome. This revolution has been propelled by explosive advances in technology accompanied by changes in fundamental concepts. Progress in this newly shaped field requires innovative approaches and cross-disciplinary fertilization. I highlight here several areas of research which pose interesting challenges to the signal processing community. One promising theme for success is the synergy of established signal processing techniques with specific characteristics of molecular biology. These questions also give the opportunity to develop new signal processing methods inspired by biology.