Dr. Marcotte's research group combines computational/bioinformatics approaches with experimental approaches to study protein function and protein-protein interactions. They've discovered a number of features of genomes that allow them to predict functions for proteins that have never been experimentally characterized. Using these techniques and information from over 30 fully sequenced genomes, Dr. Marcotte and his collaborators were able to calculate the first genome-wide predictions of protein function, finding very preliminary function for over half the 2,500 uncharacterized genes of yeast. Now, with over 80 genomes in hand, they're extending these techniques, as well as asking fundamental questions about the evolution of protein interactions and the evolution of genomes.