GeneFormatics means to develop computational tools that will help the pharmaceutical industry predict the three-dimensional structures and corresponding functions of proteins.

The torrents of data being generated through combinatorial chemistry and genomics are increasing researchers’ interest in computer-aided drug design. Developers say their new programs are more powerful than ever. The new tools are certainly cheaper,and they are reaching a wider audience of less-expert researchers, in part by building on their familiarity with the Internet and Web.