The Fellowship for Interpretation of Genomes (FIG) initiated The Project to Annotate 1000 Genomes in late 2003.  The object was to create a framework for providing the best quality we could by the time the 1000th genome was sequenced.  We predicted that would occur in 2007, and it probably did.  However, the availability of 1000 more-or-less complete genomes in the public domain will probably not occur until sometime in 2008.

Reflections on Accurate Annotations:

The Basic Cycle and Its Significance

This is a slight refinement of a document that I wrote on New Year’s Eve 2007.

How to Annotate a Genome

I believe that the technologies we have developed during the last 3-5 years have culminated in the RAST server, which fundamentally changes the way people should think about annotating genomes

The Subsystems Approach to Genome Annotation and its Use in the Project to Annotate 1000 Genomes

The RAST Server: Rapid Annotations using Subsystems Technology

The subsystems strategy of annotation will undoubtedly have a profound impact on the way annotations are created and maintained. 

RAST is a technology that support the production of accurate annotations for prokaryotic genomes overnight.  It will eventually be generalized to eukaryotic genomes, and if anyone wished the performance is remarkably scalable.